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Have your say on Bass Coast population growth plan and neighbourhood character study by 16 September 2022

Bass Coast Shire Council is developing a Neighbourhood Character Study, a Housing Strategy, and a Residential Development Framework to help manage future population growth.

By news@gippsland - 17th August 2022 - Back to News

Bass Coast is one of Victoria's fastest growing regional municipalities, with the area forecast to have a population of close to 48,140 by 2036. This population growth will result in demand for almost 10,000 additional dwellings. Bass Coast Shire Mayor, Cr Michael Whelan said that this predicted population growth presents a challenge for council.

Have your say and tell the council what you think about housing and neighbourhood character in Bass Coast using the interactive map and survey web page

Neighbourhood character study

Cr Whelan said, "Not only will we need to adequately plan for it, but we will also need to ensure that appropriate planning policies and controls are in place, to protect the valued attributes within our townships, where a new development is proposed,"

"The Neighbourhood Character Study, Housing Strategy and Residential Development Framework will build on and complement the state government's draft Statement of Planning Policy, developed as part of the Distinctive Areas and Landscapes Program, to ensure that council is well equipped to sustainably manage the forecasted population growth." Cr Whelan said.

The Neighbourhood Character Study involves a detailed assessment of neighbourhood character in Bass Coasts residential areas and the preparation of design guidelines that will inform the character of new residential developments.

Housing growth and change

The housing strategy will be a long-term plan to manage housing growth and change across all residential areas in Bass Coast. It will identify what our housing needs are, where housing growth and changes to residential density can occur based on a set of clearly defined principles and will help define the degree of change within our settlements.

The Residential Development Framework will balance the outputs of the Housing Strategy and Neighbourhood Character Study to identify minimal, incremental, and substantial change areas for all residential settlements. This will inform the application of zones and overlays that are needed to ensure new development respects the identified preferred neighbourhood character of residential areas.

Council is seeking community input into the preparation of these draft studies and is starting a community consultation period focused on:

• Explaining the roles of the Neighbourhood Character Study and the Housing Strategy and the steps involved in developing them
• Collecting feedback that can be used to inform the development of the draft Housing Strategy
• Collecting feedback on what residents think makes their local neighbourhood unique

For more information about the project and to provide your feedback, visit Neighbourhood Character Study and Housing Strategy web page.

Council's drop-in sessions

You can also learn more about the projects in person, by attending a drop-in session with council's strategic planning team at:

• Inverloch Community Hub - Friday, 26 August from 11.00am to 1.00pm
• St Philip's Anglican Church (meeting room), Cowes - Saturday, 27 August from 9.30am to 11.30am
• San Remo Recreation Reserve (blue room) - Saturday, 27 August from 1.30pm to 3.30pm

Community members can also contact council's strategic planning team to discuss the project on 1300 BCOAST (226 278) or (03) 5671 2211 or email strategicplanningadmin@basscoast.vic.gov.au. The first stage of consultation closes on Friday, 16 September 2022.

Housing studies and assessments

You can also watch videos below for for information:

• Bass Coast Neighbourhood character
• Bass Coast Housing principles

The Bass Coast Neighbourhood Character Study will assess the neighbourhood character of residential areas across the Shire. The Study will capture the unique values and distinctive attributes within each of Bass Coast's settlements, and develop planning controls that will ensure new residential development is responsive to its context.

Before we start developing the draft Housing Strategy, we have undertaken a Residential Market, Demand and Supply Assessment to get a better picture of the future housing needs and challenges for Bass Coast. The assessment has found that we will need up to 10,000 new dwellings by 2036 to accommodate future community needs.

Pictures from Bass Coast Shire Council website.

Source: www.gippsland.com

Published by: news@gippsland.com