Environment Effects Act 1978 Planning and Environment Act 1987 EES INQUIRY GREATER GEELONG PLANNING SCHEME: AMENDMENT C150 AND PP673/2007 STOCKLAND WATERWAYS AND RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT POINT LONSDALE REPORT OF THE PANEL Panel: Kathryn Mitchell William O’Neil Peter Sheehan Catherine Wilson October 2008 EES: Stockland Waterways and Residential Development, Point Lonsdale Greater Geelong Scheme: Amendment C150 and PP673/2007 Report of the Panel: October 2008 EES INQUIRY and GREATER GEELONG PLANNING SCHEME: AMENDMENT C150 AND PP673/2007 STOCKLAND WATERWAYS AND RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT REPORT OF THE PANEL Kathryn Mitchell, Chair William O’Neil, Member Peter Sheehan, Member Catherine Wilson, Member October 2008 EES: Stockland Waterways and Residential Development, Point Lonsdale Greater Geelong Scheme: Amendment C150 and PP673/2007 Report of the Panel: October 2008 TABLE OF CONTENTS PAGE NO. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY.......................................................................................................1 PART 1: BACKGROUND......................................................................................................5 1. INTRODUCTION.................................................................................................6 1.1 THE PANEL ...................................................................................................................6 1.2 TERMS OF REFERENCE ..................................................................................................7 1.3 SUBMISSIONS AND HEARINGS......................................................................................8 1.4 APPROACH TO REPORT ..............................................................................................11 2. THE PROPOSAL .................................................................................................12 2.1 THE SUBJECT SITE AND SURROUNDS .........................................................................12 2.2 ALTERNATIVE DEVELOPMENT PROPOSALS ...............................................................14 2.3 WHAT IS PROPOSED?..................................................................................................16 2.4 TIMING AND STAGING ...............................................................................................19 3. LEGISLATIVE AND POLICY FRAMEWORK .............................................21 3.1 STATE LEGISLATION ...................................................................................................21 3.2 STATE GOVERNMENT POLICY ....................................................................................23 3.3 COMMONWEALTH LEGISLATION...............................................................................26 3.4 PLANNING AND APPROVALS PROCESS......................................................................27 PART 2: ANALYSIS OF EFFECTS AND IMPACTS........................................................29 4. LAND USE PLANNING....................................................................................30 4.1 DESCRIPTION AND KEY ISSUES ..................................................................................31 4.2 PANEL RESPONSE .......................................................................................................32 4.3 FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS ........................................................................58 5. GEOMORPHOLOGY AND GEOTECHNICAL ...........................................59 5.1 DESCRIPTION AND KEY ISSUES ..................................................................................59 5.2 PANEL RESPONSE .......................................................................................................59 5.3 FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS ........................................................................61 6. SITE CONTAMINATION.................................................................................63 6.1 DESCRIPTION AND KEY ISSUES ..................................................................................63 6.2 PANEL RESPONSE .......................................................................................................66 6.3 FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS ........................................................................66 7. HYDROLOGY AND WATER QUALITY.......................................................67 7.1 DESCRIPTION AND KEY ISSUES ..................................................................................68 Page i EES: Stockland Waterways and Residential Development, Point Lonsdale Greater Geelong Scheme: Amendment C150 and PP673/2007 Report of the Panel: October 2008 7.2 PANEL RESPONSE .......................................................................................................70 7.3 FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS ........................................................................78 8. FLORA AND FAUNA ........................................................................................80 8.1 DESCRIPTION AND KEY ISSUES ..................................................................................80 8.2 PANEL RESPONSE – BIODIVERSITY CONSERVATION..................................................81 8.3 PANEL RESPONSE – FLORA ........................................................................................83 8.4 PANEL RESPONSE – FAUNA .......................................................................................94 8.5 FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS ........................................................................96 9. CLIMATE CHANGE AND SEA LEVEL RISE...............................................99 9.1 DESCRIPTION AND KEY ISSUES ................................................................................100 9.2 PANEL RESPONSE .....................................................................................................101 9.3 FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATION ........................................................................108 10. CULTURAL HERITAGE..................................................................................110 10.1 DESCRIPTION AND KEY ISSUES ................................................................................110 10.2 PANEL RESPONSE .....................................................................................................111 10.3 FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS ......................................................................112 11. ECONOMICS AND TOURISM.....................................................................113 11.1 DESCRIPTION AND KEY ISSUES ................................................................................113 11.2 PANEL RESPONSE .....................................................................................................115 11.3 FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS ......................................................................119 12. SOCIAL IMPACTS ...........................................................................................120 12.1 DESCRIPTION AND KEY ISSUES ................................................................................120 12.2 PANEL RESPONSE .....................................................................................................122 12.3 FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS ......................................................................129 13. LANDSCAPE AND VISUAL..........................................................................131 13.1 INTRODUCTION AND KEY ISSUES.............................................................................131 13.2 PANEL RESPONSE .....................................................................................................133 13.3 FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS ......................................................................136 14. TRANSPORT .....................................................................................................138 14.1 DESCRIPTION AND KEY ISSUES ................................................................................138 14.2 PANEL RESPONSE .....................................................................................................139 14.3 FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS ......................................................................146 15. INFRASTRUCTURE SERVICES NETWORK.............................................147 15.1 DESCRIPTION AND KEY ISSUES ................................................................................147 15.2 PANEL RESPONSE .....................................................................................................149 15.3 FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS ......................................................................153 Page ii EES: Stockland Waterways and Residential Development, Point Lonsdale Greater Geelong Scheme: Amendment C150 and PP673/2007 Report of the Panel: October 2008 16. PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION.....................................................................154 16.1 DESCRIPTION AND KEY ISSUES ................................................................................154 16.2 PANEL RESPONSE .....................................................................................................155 16.3 FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS ......................................................................158 PART 3: CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS...........................................161 17. RESPONSE TO EES TERMS OF REFERENCE ...........................................162 17.1 POTENTIAL ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS AND PROPOSED MODIFICATIONS ............162 17.2 OVERALL CONCLUSION