Planning is not a sexy topic.
But if we do not tell council clearly what is important to include in our planning scheme then we cannot complain when we end up with inappropriate development and lose the special character of our island.
The scheme is due for review this year.
A planning scheme is one of the tools that shapes our community, but like any tool it works better if it is kept sharp.
Yet in 2003 Bass Coast Shire conducted a review to identify gaps in the scheme, identifying various issues, such as domestic wind energy, but which have not been addressed 19 years later, allowing the fiasco of the Surf Beach turbine to eventuate.
So how did this happen?
The short answer is as a community, we were apathetic.
Over the past seven weeks we’ve examined a variety of planning issues in these columns, including parking waivers, township character, height, density, infill, sustainability and the planning process.
So, in an ideal world, this is what Island Voice would like to see happen.
We need to think about the future and include design considerations that reduce our impact upon the environment and energy usage.
We must stop allowing parking waivers and require new buildings to build the statutory amount on the premises.
In fact, we need to think carefully about how many people and vehicles can be accommodated on the island without it becoming another Melbourne suburb.
Island Voice believes when a planning application relates to a staged development, it must be clearly stated what elements are included in each stage and when they will be completed.
If the planning scheme has been updated before a stage is started, then it should comply with the latest requirements.
Infill needs to be carefully planned to prevent problems with inadequate infrastructure, loss of vegetation and inappropriate density.
Island Voice believes we need to plan for social housing, which needs to be located near transport, shopping and medical facilities.
The planning scheme needs to ensure all social housing is consistent with the character and standard of the local residences, so it does not imbue any stigma, while being built to be cheap to heat and cool.
In the bigger picture, Bass Coast has been using township structure plans to provide a framework for township development on the island.
They aim to recognise the character of an area and preserve it; for example the structure plan for San Remo, Newhaven and Cape Woolamai recognises the importance of preserving coastal character.
Work on these started in 2010 but, after 11 years, they have not been completed for all of the island townships.
Even the first ones developed include out of date references to Newhaven College being in Newhaven, and Keam’s land in San Remo before it was sub-divided into a housing estate.
Yet plans were created for Wonthaggi and Dalyston four years ago.
As these plans are documents outside the planning scheme, they seem to be used as guidelines rather than being enforceable, which seems to defeat the purpose of creating them.
Island Voice believes they should be incorporated into the planning scheme.
Secondly, maintaining township character is critical to protect Phillip Island’s attraction as one of Victoria’s tourist gems.
The Mornington Peninsula Planning Scheme contains many provisions for their townships and developments.
For example, in their scheme, Flinders village is encouraged to have “simple building styles and materials, including the use of timber”, while “boundary to boundary construction should be avoided” to allow views and landscaping.
This clarity of vision contributes to the harmonious development of the central Flinders village.
Island Voice believes we need to tighten up the language in the Bass Coast planning scheme by removing weasel words such as “encourage”, “discourage” and use concrete measures where possible.
The Surf Coast Planning Scheme, for example, states there should be a 50-metre buffer from a wetland or waterway, while Mornington Peninsula specifies maximum heights.
Unfortunately, many new builds do not require any planning permits, but just a building permit, so perhaps this needs to be rethought particularly as coastal property becomes scarcer and developers push densities to increase profitability?
In addition, Island Voice believes planning applications should not be accepted and advertised unless they include all relevant and accurate information.
Incomplete/inaccurate ones should be returned to the applicant, preventing a waste of time for officers and the public in assessing and commenting upon them.
We hope in this series of articles we have triggered your interest in the planning scheme and you take part in the review.
