IT WAS a big fat ‘no’ to residential growth at Cape Woolamai as part of the recent Bass Coast Distinctive Areas and Landscapes (DAL) Advisory Committee process.

Neither the shire nor the Department of Transport and Planning (DTP) want the old Phillip Island Airport to be made available for housing, not now or in the future.

It’s a dead goose.

Which according to local real estate agents is good news for those who already own a house there, purely based on supply and demand - no future supply, plenty of demand.

But the Bass Coast Shire Council took a much more nuanced approach to locking the settlement up behind a Protected Settlement Boundary (PSB) for the next 50 years, than the department at the recent DAL planning hearings.

In its submission, the shire said it wants further work to be carried out identifying environmental values and opportunities, and for some areas identified for conservation to be acquired by the State government and included in the Public Conservation and Resource Zone.

The shire is also concerned that if the airport retains its Farming Zone use, a number of “as of right” land uses could be introduced that would threaten the environmental values, significant landscape and character values of the area.

The shire said the draft Statement of Planning Policy had not addressed these issues directly.

The department did, however, concur with the shire that the Phillip Island Airport should be a no-go for residential development.

“Firstly, there's the planning proposition, already mentioned that there's not a strategic imperative there for growth,” said Julie Forsyth SC on behalf of the DTP.

“Secondly, there are significant landscape values in relation to that land. And even for the northern part of the land, it fulfills an important role as a green break between Cape Woolamai and the Surf Beach to Smith's Beach settlements.

“And Mr Schutt (Steve Schutt of Hansen Partners, an expert in landscape called by Cape Woolamai developers) originally said, oh well, he didn't think that it was a significant proportion of the green break but it's actually about 27%, so it is significant.

“So, we submit that it's got landscape values, it plays an important role in the green break and it has significant ecological issues,” said Ms Forsyth, setting out why the northern part of the Phillip Island Airport land as well as the coastal section, had vegetation that should be preserved and retained, consistent with earlier submissions.

“So, we submit that it also has ecological values.”

What the shire said in full

The Bass Coast Shire Council’s Cape Woolamai submission:

Cape Woolamai: While Council accepts the application of the protected settlement boundary (at Cape Woolamai), Council is concerned about the treatment of the former Phillip Island Airport. Similarly, to Newhaven, the Settlement Background Paper and the Bass Coast Environmental Opportunities and Constraints Assessment identify a number of environmental values that exist on this site at Cape Woolamai. These values are a primary reason for not including the area within the settlement boundary.

However, the draft SPP and the settlement background paper are silent about protecting these environmental values from threats that can result from retaining this land in the Farming Zone, where a number of ‘as-of-right’ land uses will be of detriment to the environmental values. As such, prior to Council accepting the draft SPP Council requires the identified areas of remnant native vegetation (refer to Figure 4 page 38 of the Bass Coast Environmental Opportunities and Constraints Assessment) be acquired by the State government and included in the Public Conservation and Resource Zone.

This will ensure the long-term protection of these attributes from all threats. Based on the above discussion, it is recommended that: Within the Draft SPP:

• Include a new strategy under objective 4, that will ensure the long-term protection and conservation of the valued environmental attributes on the former Phillip Island Airport.
• Include a new map that illustrates significant environmental attributes located on the Phillip Island Airport Site Within the Settlement Background Paper.
• Include a new Action that requires DELWP to prepare a long-term management plan that will protect and conserve the environmental attributes on the site from all threats

The Bass Coast Planning Scheme identifies Cape Woolamai as a mostly residential settlement, with only a small cluster of commercial buildings. It highlights the sensitivity of its bounding coastal and wetland foreshores, and looks to strengthen and protect these interfaces through better links, indigenous planting and screening.

It identifies the landscape and environmental setting as an important part of the settlement’s character, and promotes development in keeping with the natural landscape setting.

The planning scheme also encourages development within the local retail precinct around Vista Place in particular commercial uses that support the local community’s needs within Cape Woolamai’s existing mixed use zoned convenience centre.

The Bass Coast Shire Design and Siting Guidelines for Coastal and Hinterland Areas seeks limited height of built form below the tree canopy in keeping with the relatively flat foreshore land. It also encourages space between buildings, and the development of a cohesive material and colour palette, and the use of indigenous plant species.

Cape Woolamai is designated as a “village” which is a settlement with population levels of 500–1000, the number fluctuating seasonally. Basic services are available including a general store and basic retail facilities, and most have postal services. A village has strong employment relationships with larger, nearby settlements and relies on them for services. Villages on the coast have moderate-to-high levels of holiday home ownership. Most are connected to reticulated water, and some have sewer connections.