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Council adopts Significant Landscape Overlay to five areas of the Bellarine Peninsula
Tuesday, 24 August 2010
9:35 AM
Media Releases
Council has adopted Amendment C177, which proposes the application of a Significant Landscape Overlay (SLO) to five identified areas of land on the Bellarine Peninsula.
Cr Andrew Katos, who holds Council’s Portfolio for Planning, said the amendment
Was a Council-initiated initiative, in partnership with the Department of Planning and Community Development.
The Amendment received Ministerial authorisation in March 2009 and was put on public exhibition between 19 August and 28 September.
Cr Katos said Amendment C177 seeks to ensure that development on the Bellarine Peninsula responds appropriately to the landscape setting, character and desired future character directions identified in the State Government’s Coastal Spaces Landscape Assessment Study, 2006.
“Amendment C177 proposes that the Significant Landscape Overlay be applied to five identified areas of land on the Bellarine Peninsula,” he said.
The five areas are:
* SLO 10: Lake Connewarre Escarpment, with the exception of the property at 161-183 Ash Road
* SLO 11: Lake Victoria and Yarram Creek
* SLO 12: Swan Bay and surrounds
* SLO 13: Murradoc Hill, and
* SLO 14: Clifton Springs to Portarlington Coast.
Notice has been provided to all relevant government departments, statutory authorities, community and environment groups, and to all landowners directly affected by the proposed SLO.
Cr Katos said that following the exhibition period for Amendment C177, a total of 54 submissions had been received – 34 of them either objecting to the amendment outright or expressing concerns, and 20 either supporting the amendment or offering no objection.
“Other submitters suggested additional areas to which the overlay should apply,” he said.
Cr Katos said that Council had referred the submissions to a government-appointed Independent Panel for consideration, with the Panel hearing being held between 5 and 7 May this year at City Hall in Geelong.
The Panel’s report subsequently recommended the adoption of Amendment C177.
The report concluded that the amendment supports both State and Local planning policy to protect significant coastal landscapes in non-urban areas of the Bellarine Peninsula through the implementation of the Coastal Spaces Landscape Assessment Study.
Cr Katos said Council officers agreed with the Panel’s recommendations.
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