Draft G21 Regional Growth Plan blueprint released and it will impact Drysdale and Clifton Springs

The G21 Geelong Region Alliance has published a draft Growth Plan designed to manage growth and land use pressures in our region. Covering the time period from now to 2050, the Plan will pull together the strategic land use and growth planning already done across the region. The plan is in draft form and is now open for comment until 18 May 2012,

From the Media Release

"The draft G21 Regional Growth Plan released for public comment (beginning 3 April) is one of the most significant documents people of the region will need to consider for many years to come, G21 - Geelong Region Alliance CEO Elaine Carbines said today.

"This is a blueprint for our region's future for the next 40 years during which the population will potentially grow to 500,000 people, which is about 200,000 more than today. It's about physically shaping key aspects of the region which we will ultimately hand over to our children," Ms Carbines said.

"With many more people going to be living, working and visiting in the region we have to plan carefully for a self-sustaining region that uses existing infrastructure and land more efficiently.

"The draft plan identifies new areas of land for growth, likely to be required after 2030, and looks at what is needed by way of new housing, employment, services, public transport and roads to meet that growth....

With regards to our area the draft regional growth plan notes:

p.15 Bellarine Peninsula - The larger towns of Ocean Grove and Drysdale/Clifton Springs provide significant housing opportunities and a range of services to smaller coastal towns. Towns on the Bellarine offer coastal recreation, food and wine experiences and holiday accommodation. They experience significant population peaks and pressure on infrastructure over summer and other peak holiday periods such as Easter. Queenscliff provides an important harbour and ferry link to the Mornington Peninsula

p.16 2.5 - Identified Planned Growth - ... The current identified growth areas have been selected through local planning processes that involved extensive community engagement. Central Geelong, Armstrong Creek, Ocean Grove, Drysdale/ Clifton Springs, Leopold, Lara, Torquay/Jan Juc, Bannockburn and Colac are identified for significant growth. These settlements will contain the majority of new residents and jobs. They play an important role in supporting surrounding communities and protecting our agricultural land.

In Section 3.0 Geelong Region Plan, Drysdale and Clifton Springs are described as a Regional Centre - between 10,000 - 100,000 people and a district town and also as a subregional employment cenre.

The draft background report provides more detail.

The draft G21 Growth Plan Summary Brochure describes Drysdale and Clifton Springs as being identified as supporting planned growth and reinforcing the role of district towns and encourage growth of district towns or centres consistent with existing structure plans/growth plans.

The G21 Geelong region plan (p.40 of the pdf) has identified that Drysdale/Clifton Springs currently has 66 hectares of currently zoned residential vacant land. There is 360 hectares which has been identifed for future residential development which gives a total of 426 hectares.

The vision of this plan (p13 of the pdf) is that by 2050 Drysdale has resulted in a population of between 20,000 to 30,000 people with major services located in this sub regional centre near transit stations.

From what I can tell, the Bellarine Peninsula will become much like the Mornington Peninsula - lots of housing and a disappearing rural landscape. High density housing with over 20 lots per hectare will become the norm.

The map below shows where the housing development will occur in our area. Most of it appears to be in the Jetty Road development area.

The draft G21 Regional Growth Plan is now open for comment. The public comment period will run from 3 April until 18 May. They want you to tell them what you like about the Draft Growth Plan and how it could be improved.

Feedback on the plan can be made in person at the Open Houses, online or in written form to:

G21 Regional Growth Plan team,
City of Greater Geelong
PO Box 104, Geelong, 3220
Or email: G21RGP@geelongcity.vic.gov.au
Or fax: 03 5272 4855

You are asked to return feedback sheets and submissions by the 18 May 2012

Note the closest Open House to Drysdale or Clifton Springs is

Geelong - 28 April, 10.00am – 2.00pm
Market Square
115-117 Little Malop Street

A number of articles have also appeared in the press on the issue

• Game changer, by Joanna Carson. Bellarine Times, April 10 2012. "We should change the game, says regional planning group. A ring road between Geelong and Torquay should also include a new road onto the Bellarine Peninsula, according to the G21 regional planning group. A draft Economic Development Strategy, just released, sees a future in which 500,000 people live in the Barwon region in 40 years' time. The Barwon region covers Geelong, Queenscliff, the Surf Coast, Colac-Otways and Golden Plains council areas. The economic development strategy focusses on the next 10 years.
• Road map - Planning must start soon for roads to keep up with development, by Joanna Carson. Bellarine Times, April 17 2012. "New roads servicing a more populated Bellarine may not happen for more than a decade, if planning isn't started now. Regional planning group G21, funded by the City of Greater Geelong (CoGG) and four surrounding councils, has identified major road infrastructure necessary to cater for future growth. They include a duplication of Portarlington Highway (between Drysdale and Portarlington) and the Bellarine Highway, and an extension of the Geelong Ring Road (GRR) to Moolap. The G21 Draft Regional Growth Plan says Ocean Grove and Drysdale/Clifton Springs still offers significant housing opportunities. The greater Geelong region currently has a population of 220,000, but land has been mapped that will allow double that. A longer term provision in the plan is to provide for growth beyond 500,000 people..."