Draft Urban Futures Strategy out for community consultation
Published on 26 June 2024
Surf Coast Shire Council is launching a second round of community consultation to help finalise its draft Urban Futures Strategy which will guide urban growth across the shire during coming decades.
Council resolved at its June meeting to endorse the draft strategy and put it out for community consultation from 1 July to 26 August.
When finalised the strategy will establish a clear policy framework to guide sustainable urban growth within Surf Coast Shire and guide future land use planning at the township and precinct level. It considers a range of constraints, including the need to protect natural environments and significant landscapes.
In responding to forecast population growth to 2051, the strategy recommends and prioritises strategic work to ensure an adequate supply of land to meet future housing and employment needs.
People can view the draft strategy and supporting documents and make submissions via yoursay.surfcoast.vic.gov.au/UFS, or make inquiries via info@surfcoast.vic.gov.au or 5261 0600.
Community members are also invited to attend drop-in information sessions to learn more about the strategy’s key principles and directions.
Drop-in sessions will be in:
- Torquay, 17 July, 4pm to 6pm in Council’s chambers, 1 Merrijig Drive
- Winchelsea, 18 July, 4pm to 6pm in Winchelsea Hall, 28 Hesse Street
The sessions are planned for Torquay and Winchelsea as they are the two locations where the majority of future urban growth will occur, but all shire residents are welcome to attend.
The draft strategy has already been informed by feedback received during an initial round of community consultation late in 2023.
“Our shire has one of the fastest rates of growth in Victoria, and that is projected to continue across the next decade and more,” Cr Mike Bodsworth said.
“Opinions vary across our shire on the benefits versus costs of growth, but the draft strategy shows how a strong, well-considered framework can guide urban growth to meet future housing and employment needs while taking into account sustainability, social aspects and the need to protect and preserve natural environments and township character.
“We encourage community members to view the strategy and help shape its completion during this important final round of consultation.”
Victoria In Future (2023) population projections predict that between 2021 and 2036 the shire’s population will increase by almost 10,400 people, to more than 48,000.
The strategy includes shire-wide principles to:
- Recognise landscape level bushfire risk when planning for urban growth.
- Protect land with environmental, landscape and heritage significance, and productive agricultural land, from urban growth.
- Encourage housing diversity in new urban areas and existing communities
- Ensure that new and existing urban areas are well planned to deliver sustainable communities.
- Provide clear strategic direction on the spatial distribution of urban growth.
- Plan for growth on the basis of a range of realistic future housing demand scenarios.
Key directions on distribution of growth include recognising the limiting effect of bushfire risk and the significance of the Great Ocean Road landscape and retaining existing settlement boundaries of coastal towns, identifying locations for infill development within the protected settlement boundary of Torquay- Jan Juc, and planning for the majority of the shire’s longer-term growth in Winchelsea.