Bellarine planning delay fears

A DELAY in the Bellarine Distinctive Areas Landscape (DAL) process has community members concerned the state government could backtrack on its 2018 election promise.

Ocean Grove Community Association chairman Phil Edwards claimed the move to extend the process had been done in secrecy.

“In 2018 the state government trumpeted loudly with media releases the declaration of a distinctive areas and landscape process,” Mr Edwards said.

“Now no media release, no public announcements in newspapers and no updates on the websites despite recently publishing in the state government gazette a 12-month or more extension – maybe they are hoping no one will notice.”

In September 2018, Planning

Minister Richard Wynne claimed that, if elected, Labor would put the interests of communities first when it came to the development of the Bellarine Peninsula.

“There’s no denying that our state is growing but that doesn’t mean we should let developers ruin our small towns,” Mr Wynne said.

Mr Edwards said submissions regarding the draft Bellarine DAL statement policy, as published on the Engage Vic website, indicated there was pressure being placed on the Planning Minister from developers seeking the appointment of an advisory committee.

He suggested the call for a committee could be aligned with the recent and quiet extension to the DAL process, and he now feared the state could “roll over on its election promises”.

“Up to this point in time there has been very good, broad and open community engagement with the people of the Bellarine,” he said.

Despite the concerns, Bellarine MP Lisa Neville said protecting the area’s distinctive characteristics remained a priority.

“While there have been some timeline changes due to the coronavirus pandemic, the government will be delivering these important reforms for the Bellarine Peninsula, nothing has changed,” Ms Neville said.

The Bellarine Peninsula was declared a distinctive area and landscape (DAL) on October 29, 2019, and will expire on the same date in 2021.

To provide more time to finalise the statement of planning policy, the Bellarine Peninsula was once again declared a DAL, with the declaration to start on October 30.