Council Minutes - Section C: Notice of Motion - 10 December 2019
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Notices of Motion tabled at the Ordinary Meeting of Council on 10 December 2019 which was held at the Council Conference and Reception Centre in City Hall, 57 Little Malop Street, Geelong.
Councillor Harwood declared a Direct Interest in the Notice of Motion in that he has an interest in land within the Distinctive Areas and Landscapes and left the meeting room prior to discussion at 9:50pm.
As per Council Meeting Procedures Local Law 2017 (3.31.2), a meeting may not continue after 10pm unless a majority of members present volt in favour of its continuance.
Councillor Asher moved, Councillor Grzybek seconded –
That the meeting continue to proceed as per Council Meeting Procedures Local Law 2017 (3,31,2).
Carried.
In September 2018 the State Government issued a press release stating a re-elected Labor Government would permanently protect the Surf Coast and Bellarine Peninsula from over development, via the Distinctive Areas and Landscapes (DAL) section of the Planning and Environment Act. Upon its re-election the Department of Environment, Land, Water & Planning (DELWP) started developing the projects including engaging with the City as a key stakeholder.
From May to June 2019 phase 1 of the Surf Coast public engagement occurred with a focus on understanding the environment, landscape and lifestyle values the community want to protect. This phase did not directly consider the declaration area boundary.
Phase 2 of public engagement on the Surf Coast DAL project was to assist with developing the draft Statement of Planning Policy and has now closed. Phase 3 engagement includes consultation on the draft Statement of Planning Policy (public submissions process) and will occur in early 2020.
On 17 September 2019 the Surf Coast Distinctive Area was declared by the Governor in Council. The declaration area includes the area north of the Surf Coast and Greater Geelong municipal boundary (Mount Duneed Road) taking in Mount Duneed up to the Armstrong Creek Urban Growth Boundary (land zoned Urban Growth Zone). It also included a small area of Breamlea. A map of the declared Surf Coast Distinctive area is shown in Attachment 1.
DELWP have advised the northern boundary of the Surf Coast DAL was recommended as it acknowledges the importance of Thompson Valley green break, to preserve the landscape character between the urban areas of Armstrong Creek and Torquay. It reinforces and defines the state significant coastal landscapes by maintaining the distinct township identity of Torquay-Jan Juc within its landscapes setting. Taking the declaration boundary to the City’s settlement boundary allows for the existing green break to be considered holistically.
Prior to the declaration, Officers advised DELWP in relation to the inclusion of Greater Geelong land within the Surf Coast area that:
All landholders within and directly adjacent to the proposed designation boundary in the Greater Geelong municipality be notified in writing with the implications of the designation and opportunities for engagement clearly articulated;
The need and benefits of including land within the Greater Geelong municipality in the Surf Coast declaration area is clearly understood and supported by publicly available technical reports and expert advice;
The designation does not prejudice the implementation of Council’s adopted Settlement Strategy including the logical inclusions process for defining a long term settlement boundary. This will be relevant to the Armstrong Creek Growth Area; and
The City has further input on the implications for the Greater Geelong Planning Scheme including any proposed changes.
DELWP wrote to landholders to advise them of their inclusion in the Surf Coast declaration area in October 2019, after the area was declared. At this time a number of landholders in the Mount Duneed area formed the Mount Duneed Working Group to oppose the inclusion of the Mount Duneed area within the Surf Coast DAL declaration area and to express their concerns over the lack of consultation with Greater Geelong landholders in the declaration process. The Mount Duneed Working Group tabled a petition at the 29 October Council meeting to express these concerns. The City has responded in writing to the questions raised in the petition.
In response to the Mount Duneed community feedback, DELWP held a public information meeting for Mount Duneed residents on 13 November as part of the phase 2 public engagement (18 Oct – 15 Nov) which sought feedback on seven policy domains: landscape, environment and biodiversity, risk and resilience, Aboriginal cultural heritage, post-contact heritage, economy and infrastructure and settlement.
The Mount Duneed Working Group submitted a number of questions to DELWP to which they requested a written response. At the public meeting DELWP advised landholders to remain engaged with the public engagement process including phase 3 which includes consultation on draft Statement of Planning Policy (public submissions process) in early 2020.
The lack of direct engagement prior to the declaration with City of Greater Geelong landholders in relation to the Surf Coast DAL boundary is concerning to the majority of Mount Duneed residents raising issues around fairness and transparency.
Councillor Murnane moved, Councillor Nelson seconded -
That Council:
Endorse the Mayor write to the Minister for Planning advising the Council does not support the inclusion of the area north of Mount Duneed Road (inside Greater Geelong) within the Surf Coast Distinctive Areas and Landscapes declared area;
Acknowledge the Victorian State Government’s election commitment in September 2018 to protect the values of the Bellarine Peninsula and Surf Coast via the distinctive area and landscape provision under the Planning and Environment Act 1987;
Note land holders within the Greater Geelong municipality were not engaged with phase 1 of the Surf Coast Distinctive Areas and Landscapes project given they are not located within the Surf Coast Shire and therefore missed the opportunity to have input into the phase that informed the declaration area boundary;
Note the City did not object to Greater Geelong properties being included in the declaration area subject to a number of conditions including technical reports would be publicly available.To date the expert advice and technical work informing the declaration area has not been made public;
Acknowledge the Department wrote to and held a public meeting for landholders within Greater Geelong affected by the inclusion of their properties within the Surf Coast Distinctive Area and Landscape declaration area to provide more information and receive feedback, however this was after the declaration of the boundary; and
Note the area north of Mount Duneed Road already has adequate protection as a significant landscape through the implementation of the Armstrong Creek Urban Growth Boundary and clause 11.01-1R in the Greater Geelong Planning Scheme which includes the protection of the Thompson Valley settlement break.
Carried.
Note: Introduction of Urgent Business requires two-thirds majority of Councillors present.
Councillor Nelson proposes to raise the following item as Urgent Business:
Councillor Nelson moved, Councillor Asher seconded -
That Council considers as Urgent Business a motion concerning the funding for a crossing supervisor at St Catherine of Siena Catholic Primary School, Armstrong Creek.
Carried.
St Catherine of Siena Catholic Primary School is a new school located at 125 Warralily Boulevard, Armstrong Creek (school). The school will open its doors for the first time at the commencement of term one 2020.
Over 140 students have enrolled for 2020. The school is located on one of the main connector roads in Armstrong Creek. The school has emphasised that the safety of students and families is paramount and believes that a school crossing supervisor is required to ensure their safety.
The City seeks funding contributions for the cost of school crossing supervisors from the state government. In order for a school crossing supervisor funding to be approved by the state government, pedestrian and vehicle counts are required to be undertaken after the school is opened to verify the need for a school crossing supervisor. Generally, there is no provision in the state government funding model to fund an interim school crossing supervisor while the assessment process takes place.
Given the increasing traffic volumes around the school and the anticipated enrolments, and to provide for the safety of the students and families of the school, there appears to be a need for a school crossing supervisor to be placed at the school. In anticipation of the school opening in 2020, in September 2019 the City lodged an application to decrease the speed from 50km/h to 40km/h with VicRoads.
Councillor Nelson moved, Councillor Murnane seconded -
That Council:
Allocate funding from the 2019-2020 Budget to fund a crossing supervisor to be located at St Catherine of Siena Catholic Primary School, 125 Warralily Boulevard, Armstrong Creek (school crossing) to commence on the first day of the 2020 school term;
Note that the City has already committed to install the appropriate infrastructure for a crossing at the school and
Request the City make an application to Regional Roads Victoria for a funding contribution for the school crossing supervisor from the commencement of the first term of school 2020.
Carried.
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