Contents Introduction to Landscape Setting Types 3 Key to Landscape Setting Types for the Victorian Coast 4 Landscape Setting Types 6 1 Nelson Lower Coastal Plain - Nel::,011 lo B1iJyewdle1 Ldkes 6 2 The Three Capes - Bridgewater Lakes to Portland 7 3 Portland Lower Coastal Plain - Portland to Port Fairy 8 4 Tower Hill - Port Fairy to Warrnambool 9 5 Coastal Cliffs and Twelve Apostles - Warrnambool to Princetown 10 6 Moonlight Head - Princetown to Glenaire 11 7 Cape Otway - Glenaire to Elliott River 12 8 Great Ocean Road/Cape Patton - Elliott River to Anglesea 13 9 Lower Coastal Plains with Features - Anglesea to the Heads 14 10 The Heads - Point Nepean, Point Lonsdale and Queenscliff 15 11 Rural Flat and Undulating with Features - Swan Bay to Geelong 16 12 Geelong - Point Henry to Limeburners Bay 17 13 Rural Flatlands with Features - Limeburners Bay to Williamstown 18 14 Melbourne - Williamstown to Elwood 19 15 Urban/Suburban Flatlands and Low Cliffs - Elwood to Mentone 20 16 Urban and Suburban Flatlands - Mentone to Frankston 21 17 Suburban Bushland Escarpment - Frankston to Safety Beach 22 18 Urban/Semi Urban Flatlands - Safety Beach to Portsea 23 19 Back Beach - Point Nepean to Cape Schanck 24 20 Cape Schanck - Cape Schanck to Flinders 25 21 Western Port Heads - Flinders to Phillip Island 26 22 Lower Cliffs - Flinders to Stony Point 27 23 Western Port Lowlands - Stony Point to San Remo 28 24 Western Port Islands - Phillip/Churchill/French Islands 29 25 Anderson Peninsula - San Remo to Kilcunda 30 26 Cape Paterson - Kilcunda to Arch Rock/Morgan Beach Area 31 27 Cape Liptrap - Arch Rock/Morgan Beach Area to Waratah Bay 32 28 Corner Inlet - Waratah Bay to Port Welshpool 33 29 Wilsons Promontory 34 30 The Islands - Port Welshpool to Reeves Beach 35 31 Ninety Mile Beach - Reeves Beach to Lakes Entrance 36 32 The Inland Lakes - Lake Wellington to Lake King 37 33 Coastal Plains and Estuaries - Lake Tyers to Sydenham Inlet 38 34 Croajingolong - Sydenham Inlet to NSW Border 39 !Infrastructure library 711 . 4209 00104722 945 VIC:T Landscape setting types for the Victorian coast Landscape Se tting Types Introduction to Landscape Se tting Types The Landscape Setting Types for the Victorian Coast together Using the above criteria thirty four setting types have been with the Siting and Design Guidelines for Structures on the identified and defined (refer following map). These landscape Victorian Coast have been developed to assist the Victorian setting types are broad and provide a useful framework for Coastal Council, coastal managers, Local Government and classification purposes. The development of Coastal Action other stakeholders to implement the Victorian Coastal Strategy Plans will further delineate and refine characteristics of the by encouraging sympathetic coastal development and setting type at the site specific level . promoting excellence in coastal design. While the entirety of the coast is visually significant, there are The Landscape Setting Types for the Victorian Coast aim to some areas that are particularly unique, such as Port Ph il lip provide a better understanding of the landscape character of Heads, Twelve Apostles at Port Campbell, Gippsland Lakes, the coast by identifying significant features and characteristics the three Capes at Portland, the Great Ocean Road and the of various sections of the coast. The identified landscape wilderness coast near Mallacoota Inlet to mention a few. character should be considered and respected in the These areas are particularly vulnerable to change in which development of proposals for structures at specific locations in values could suffer if subjected to intensive or inappropriate order to achieve an integrated development which is development. sympathetic to the surrounding landscape. The identification of Landscape Setting Types was based on site investigations, aerial inspection of the entire coastline, analysis of a large range of maps, aerial photographs and reports. The following criteria have been used to determine these zones: • The importance of the landscape as viewed from a number of points. AeriJI inspection of the entire Victori an coastline confirmed the complexity of coastal viewshed, as did visual analysis from the water and the hinterland (for example, views from points inland on the Bellarine Peninsula towards the Heads and Port Phillip Bay clearly show that these inland areas are a part of the coastal landscape). • The nature and extent of the natural systems (landforms/geomorphology/land cover). • The nature and extent of the cultural systems (settlements/structures). • Exposure of landscape to winds/seas; that is the stability or energy level of the landscape. • Capacity of the landscape to absorb change without creating visual impacts from prominent view points. • Cultural influences and impacts (for example, urban development, heritage - both Aboriginal and European and land use). • Landscape character - including climatic, experiential, visual and spiritual aspects of the coastal environment. Land scape Setting Types 3 ----------- - ~ Nelson Lower Coastal Plain N The Three Capes w Portland Lower Coastal Plain Lady Julia Percy Island • .i:. Tower Hill Tower Hill Curdies Inlet ,-+ ::::r vi Coastal Cliffs and Twelve Apostles ct> < Princetown Gellibrand River (") en Moonlight Head ,-+ 0 Aire River and Inlet ...., .....i Cape Otway ( QJ ::J oo Great Ocean Road/Cape Panon •)> "'Cl n Q_ 0 0 QJ 00 OJ Vl '< ,-+ •r g Cl :l "' "'0 :l lO \.0 Lower Coastal Plains with Features • Geelong ~ Rural Flat and Undulating with Features 0 The Heads Rural Flatlands with Features w \.0 Back Beach Urban I Semi Urban Flatlands 00 Melbourne ~ N Cape Schanck 0 ~ · Urban/Suburban Flatlands and Low Cliffs ~ N Western Port Heads Urban and Suburban Flatlands ~ N N Lower Cliffs Suburban Bushland Escarpment ~ Western Port Islands ~ -Western Port Lowlands -td Eagles Nest FeatJre ...;r Ill \0 ~ Cape Paterson IQ. --·- ~ Cape Liptrap c !Xl Corner Inlet t;5 Wilsons Promontory ~ The Islands w Ninety Mile Beach ~ The Inland Lakes s a ~· OJ 3 .­ 3 OJ Cape Corran Qi ::Jc_ ~ Coastal Plains and Estuaries Q g. 1J :::i Ill 0 fl) ,.... "':::; :;· I -- / Point Hicks 0 IO Croajingolong w~ Vl 1J-<' _$; , @ ~ , ti: ; Ram Head Wingan Inlet Qi' m- 0 , V1 "0 , r+ Ill , '•(, ,' ; Gabo Island '· Nelson Lower Coastal Plain - Nelson to Bridgewater Lakes Description The main characteristics of this setting type are the large mobile sand dunes with high energy waves and winds continually shaping this fragile landscape. The area also contains brackish wetlands and low cliffs and stretches from Nelson Inlet along Discovery Bay to Cape Bridgewater. The land beyond the coastal foredune or cliff consists of coastal grasses, sedges and some pasture. In the hinterland beyond the coastal zone are extensive plantings of pines which can be viewed in places from the Great South West Walk. The Glenelg River is a special and largely hidden landscape with dramatic limestone cliffs, blue waters and the historic township of Nelson. Special Considerations • The wild coast character is strong and thus should be protected and uninterrupted. • Pine planting is visual ly alien to the coastal character and should be excluded from the coastal viewshed . Land Characteristics • Some development well set back in " visual shadows" (beyond the coast) could occur without detriment. • Fragile dunes/cliffs require protection. • This area is of high landscape significance and requires appropriate planning controls to protect its specia l landscape characteristics. 6 Landsca pe Setting Types The Three capes - Bridgewater La kes to Portland o~:.uipl i v11 This dramatic far western area is characterised by high cliffs (higher thJn 18 metres) Jnd wild seJs . It is J zone of hJrd rock cliffs and rock platforms. The smeltering works intrude into the landscape close to Portland. It is, in the large part, a dramatic environment where industrial, wild coastal and more urban landscapes collide in an exciting way, with unstable semi­ Vf'(Jf'tiltf'rl rl1 Jnf'<; on thf' WP<;t rtnrl <;trthlf' Vf'Qf'tiltf'rl rl1 mP<; on the eastern side. The eastern section of the setting type is visually dominated by the aluminium smelter plant west of Portland. Deep, leached >andy mil> give rise to the low ~l111 1 yyl.Jd1i<. wuuuldllt.b dl/U l1edlli1dl l U~ . Tl1e died LU/lldlll> minimal settlement and is highlighted by the Cape Nelson lighthouse. This area is highly visible from a number of critical view points including the lighthouse. Point Danger, Lawrence Rocks and Bridgewater Bay Beach area. The Great South West Walk passes through this area and offers unsurpassed views of the Southern Ocean and surrounding landscape. The area is of outstanding scenic quality and requires special Land Characteristics landscape protection. Special Considerations • Cliff face landscapes are particularly sensitive to development. • Extractive industry is visually unattractive in its present form west of Portland, although remediation is possible. • Aboriginal middens need to be respected. • Holiday development is encroaching on the Bridgewater Bay area and requires landscape overlay controls to protect this significant scenic area . : - --~ . - - - . ~~~~:=w+~~ ~~ La ndscape Setting Types 7 Portland Lower Coastal Pla in - Portland to Port Fairy Description This is primarily a lower coastal plain (stable and well vegetated in the west and less so in the east) with a series of rivers at the back of dunes creating brackish and fresh water wetlands. Linear residential development associated with the more established towns (Portland and Port Fairy) has impacted on the quality of the coastal landscape. Major landscape features include Lady Julia Percy Island, the lighthouse and historic port at Port Fairy and the impact of the rock wall at Dutton Way. Major viewing points include Portland Harbour, the seal colony at Lady Julia Percy Island, Port Fairy/Cape Reamur/Griffiths Island coastal areas, car parks, as well as Yambuk/Shaw River viewing of Lady Julia Percy Island. Lady Julia Percy Island and associated mainland is of particular Aboriginal cultural and heritage significance.