The Great South Coast Regional Growth Plan provides a regional approach to land use planning in the Great South Coast region. The Greater South Coast Regional Growth Plan provides a long-term overview of the region to 2041 and beyond, allowing for some short-term actions, and provides long-term strategic land use direction.
INTRODUCTION | PART A
Strategic directions of the Great South Coast Regional Strategic Plan
Position the Great South Coast for economic growth
Improve connections
Sustain the natural assets of the Great South Coast
Strengthen the communities of the Great South Coast
Increase collaboration in the Great South Coast
Why we need this plan
How this plan will be used
How the plan was prepared
Part B: Regional overview – provides a snapshot of the region, a vision for the region and land use principles to achieve the vision. Part D: Regional Growth Plan – provides an integrated strategic plan for growth and change that brings together the key directions outlined in Part C.
Snapshot of the region
Population and settlement
REGIONAL OVERVIEW | PART B
Economy and employment
Transport and access
Environmental assets and natural resources
Facilities and services
Cultural heritage and tourism
Surrounding regions
- Drivers of change
- Challenges for growth
- Vision for the region
- Principles to achieve the vision
- Regional economy
- Overview
Moyne, Southern Grampians and Corangamite accounted for 17 percent, 16 percent and 13 percent of the region's exports respectively in 2011. The region faces medium to long-term challenges to further strengthen and diversify strategic economic sectors.
TOWARDS THE REGIONAL GROWTH PLAN
The region had a gross regional product of $4.29 billion in 2011, with agriculture, manufacturing, and health care contributing about 39 percent of the gross regional product. Overall, the region exports about 30 per cent of its production, which is above that of other Victorian regions.
REGIONAL LAND USE FRAMEWORKPART C
Rural land use
Changes in climate can create both opportunities for rural land use and challenges for the region. Adopt a coordinated approach to rural land use planning to maximize opportunities associated with assets at a regional scale.
Business, industry and services
Health, education and research
Alternative energy production
Food and fibre production
Port of Portland
Marine environment and assets
Tourism
Natural resources
Environment and heritage
- Overview
- Environment and heritage assets Cultural heritage
- Natural hazards and risks
Whaling activities also took place across much of the region's coast, such as at Warrnambool, Port Fairy and Peterborough. Develop stronger links between environmental and cultural heritage assets across the region and support appropriate tourism development associated with these assets. Recognize, manage and protect significant coastal, estuarine and marine assets to preserve the area's amenity.
Define strategically important agricultural and primary production lands across the region and use land use planning mechanisms to sustainably manage their use for these purposes. The recommendations of the Coastal Spaces Landscape Assessment Study have been implemented across the region. This plan takes into account the potential increase in coastal hazards and supports the coordination of climate change adaptation initiatives across the region.
Living in the region
- Overview
- Regional settlement strategy
- Liveability
- Linking to other regional cities and metropolitan Melbourne
- Rural residential development
- Coastal areas and management
- Housing diversity and affordability
- Regional city
- Regional centres Hamilton – Regional centre
- District towns
- Small towns
Warrnambool will continue to be the predominant growth area in the region, growing its population and attracting new and improved services to the region. Plan for the network of settlements in the eastern part of the region, including Terang, Mortlake, Cobden, Timboon, Camperdown and Port Campbell. Victoria's south-west coast7 contributes significantly to the economic, cultural, environmental and recreational life of the region's residents and visitors.
Carry out further structural planning for identified areas of long-term growth north-east of the city. Support the operation and development of the port of Portland, access to the port and its links with Heywood. Allansford City of Warrnambool Medium Growth • Support the growth of Sungold Stadium Speedway to promote employment opportunities.
Support the development of the Casterton industrial area to the east of the township around the Casterton saleyards. Develop Heywood's residential corridors north of the Fitzroy River and west of Beavis Street.
Regional infrastructure
- Overview
- Water, energy and utilities
- Transport networks
- Social infrastructure
Encourage early delivery and use of the national broadband network by households and industry across the region. As the region's population and industry grow, there will be increased demand for waste management and resource recovery throughout the region. The Great Ocean Road forms part of the transport network and is a significant tourism asset as well as a road asset for the region.
Improving the usability of the transport network for both business and pleasure will be important for strengthening and diversifying the region's economy. Access to educational facilities across the region will be essential to ensure outcomes for all age groups. As the region's population grows and Warrnambool's population approaches 60,000 people, consideration will need to be given to the future location of the region's top tier health services.
Future directions for regional growth
Research, innovation, a skilled workforce and improved transport and service infrastructure are needed to support future development and drive new added value. The region's unique land, sea and climate assets offer opportunities for new industries. To support the economy and livable communities, the region must plan for population growth beyond the currently projected 29,615 people by 2041.
As the average age of the region's population increases, more workers are required to support the growth of existing and new industries. Encouraging infrastructure that increases the vibrancy and attractiveness of the region for residents and commerce. Use the region's significant natural and cultural heritage assets to enhance the region's desirability as a place to live and do business.
Provide access to health and education to further improve quality of life and grow the region's population. Properly managing growth in the region should improve the livability of the region for current and prospective residents and workers. Liveability will support growth through sustainable communities, access to jobs, education and services, affordable and diverse housing and the protection and enhancement of the unique characteristics of the region, including its natural environment.
Manage urban development and rural housing development to support existing communities, achieve efficient service and infrastructure provision and manage impacts on other land uses. With around 50 per cent of the region's population living outside major centres, smaller cities and communities play a critical role in the region's social, environmental and economic functioning and longevity. Improved connections to all cities are vital as is the provision of key services to the regional centers of Warrnambool, Hamilton and Portland to support the region's dispersed population.
REGIONAL GROWTH PLAN | PART D
The large south coast's dispersed population provides lifestyle choices for residents, diverse communities and a workforce spread across the region. Equitable access to infrastructure, facilities and services must be maintained and improved, including through technology, coordinated service delivery and transport improvements. Focus key facilities and services in the most accessible locations, particularly the regional cities, regional centers and towns shown on Map 14: Regional Growth Map.
Plan for improved and flexible freight links to connect manufacturing and production areas with export markets in the region and beyond. Ensure that the land and infrastructure required to support growth are identified and properly planned. In order to support economic and population growth, the supply of land must be monitored to ensure the availability of the right type of land in the right location.
Implementation
- Planning schemes
- Links to Regional Strategic Plan implementation
- A plan for implementation of actions
The Great South Coast Regional Growth Plan will have status as part of the Victoria Planning Regulations and Planning Schemes. This Regional Growth Plan is based on, and aligns with, the Great South Coast Regional Strategic Plan that was developed in 2010. Implementation of the Regional Growth Plan should be considered in relation to other ongoing work to implement the strategic directions for the Great South Coast. South Coast's regional strategic plan.
Ensuring alignment between the directions and priorities in the regional growth plan and the regional strategic plan will help to ensure a. These entities are key stakeholders in overseeing the development and ongoing implementation of the Greater South Coast Regional Strategic Plan. These may include building the function of the Project Steering Committee established for the Greater South Coast Regional Growth Plan.
Councils will then need to work in partnership with the State Government to identify any necessary changes to bring local policy into line with the Regional Growth Plan. The further work to develop a plan for the implementation of the regional growth plan is essential to achieve its strategic directions for growth and change. An Implementation Plan will provide information and recommendations to support the next phase of housing, employment and infrastructure planning across the region in line with the directions and principles of the Regional Growth Plan.
It will also create a framework for monitoring and reporting on the implementation of actions in the regional growth plan. The regional growth plan has identified a number of further works or investigations that are required to improve land use planning policy and assess the feasibility of strategic investment proposals for the region. Governance arrangements will build on existing partnership arrangements strengthened through the development of the regional growth plan.
DELIVERING REGIONAL GROWTH | PART E
Review and performance
Implementation summary
Indigenous cultural heritage also includes intangible places where there may be no physical evidence of past cultural activities. These include places of spiritual or ceremonial significance, places where traditional plant or mineral resources occur, or trade and travel routes. Environmental asset: a tangible bio-physical element of the environment, such as terrestrial habitat, waterways, significant landscapes and soils.
Freight and logistics areas: places where large amounts of freight are received, stored and shipped. Higher order services: services that are only offered at a limited number of locations and have a large catchment area, such as a university or department store. Natural resources: naturally occurring raw materials such as oil, gas, sand and stone, minerals, fisheries, timber or places with potential for solar or geothermal energy.
GLOSSARY
Nature-based tourism: any activity that relies on experiences directly related to natural attractions, including ecotourism, adventure tourism, wildlife tourism and extractive tourism, such as fishing or gold prospecting. Regional River Basin Strategy: A document that sets out the management of natural resources such as rivers, wetlands, terrestrial habitat and agricultural land. Registered Aboriginal Party: Represents Aboriginal people in the management and protection of Aboriginal cultural heritage.
Sensitive uses: land uses that have high amenity expectations, such as housing, schools or hospitals. Terrestrial habitats: combinations of biological and physical features of the landscape (including natural vegetation, fallen timber and litter, soil, rocks, etc.) that enable populations of each native plant or animal species (or group of species) to live and reproduce themselves. Functions can be considered at the site scale, for example the food sources used by individuals, and the landscape scale, for example the connections used for movement between areas or the refugia used to deal with disturbance.
