PART 4: Suitable development on the coast This strategy contains policies and actions to direct development away from sensitive coastal areas and significant landscapes and manage it within existing settlements and urban areas and within activity nodes and recreation nodes. Directing development to these locations: • contains use and development to certain locations • properly establishes boundaries for development • assists in managing and planning for development pressures • reduces the overall impact of use and development and protects more sensitive areas, contributing to environmental sustainability • maintains Victoria’s unique coastal landscape values • contributes to improved levels of service • guides infrastructure investment for permanent and visiting populations • provides for better use of existing infrastructure and economies of scale • provides certainty for communities and developers.   Seaford Lifesaving Club Robert Simeoni Architects Seaford Lifesaving Club Robert Simeoni Architects Seaford Lifesaving Club Robert Simeoni architects Settlements and activity nodes This strategy focuses on protecting the coastal environment and its sustainable use. Coastal spaces (2006) provides clear direction on managing coastal growth pressures by consolidating urban development to existing settlements and urban areas (activity nodes) and protecting non-urban landscapes between settlements. This strategy recognises the importance of Coastal spaces and the need to accelerate the incorporation of coastal settlement boundaries and significant landscape overlays into planning schemes to provide the necessary statutory basis to support decision-making. This strategy also recognises the need to support local government to undertake this critical task, whether it is through funding, providing guidance, or assisting with implementation processes. Coastal spaces defines the role and function of the 87 existing coastal settlements outside the greater Melbourne region. The greater Melbourne region is covered by Melbourne 2030. These settlements range from regional centres and district towns, to smaller villages and hamlets. Figure 1 inside the front cover describes the role and function of each settlement. Coastal spaces recognises that each coastal settlement is different in spatial terms. Some have significant capacity to accommodate future growth and others have moderate spatial growth capacity or low spatial growth capacity due to limitations associated with the need to protect environmentally sensitive values, limited services or development constraints. Although most settlements can support growth and consolidation, there is a constant challenge to achieve this without detriment to valued coastal character. The Coastal Spaces 2006 Settlement Framework (Figure 12a and 12b on pages 87 and 88): provides direction on which settlements have capability to sustain and support spatial growth and infill development identifies settlements which need to be managed within their coastal environments creates a framework to help guide infrastructure investment. Coastal spaces also recognises the key relationships and connections between coastal and hinterland settlements. Hinterland settlements play an important role in coastal settlement planning in many localities by accommodating demand for residential and other types of urban-related development and regional services. Understanding the spatial growth potential across a region guides local settlement planning effort and expectation. This approach to planning in coastal regions is important as it: focuses urban development in existing settlements and discourages linear and isolated development proliferation within the coastal environment promotes the protection of natural landscapes through directing urban pressure to existing settlements facilitates a more considered and planned response to the likely coastal impacts of climate change makes the best use of resources minimises the extent of human habitation impacts on natural coastal values promotes diversity in settlements and supports healthy communities with a strong local focus and identity protects the underlying biodiversity, value and attractiveness of the coast that is important to sustain tourism and other recreational values. The future impacts of climate change (sea level rise, storm surges, coastal erosion, flooding and bushfires) will fundamentally determine the shape, size, capacity and viability of existing settlements. Climate change may also make some settlements non-viable. Planners will be required to assess and avoid future spatial climate change risks and impacts using the best available information to inform the spatial growth management parameters through the settlement planning process. Application of the precautionary principle to guide decision-making is important where emerging information supports an increase in exposure to risk. Applying the precautionary principle and minimising exposure to increased risks and impacts associated with climate change is an important element of this strategy. Activity nodes A range of large and small activity nodes are located along the Victorian coast. Activity nodes are located within existing coastal settlements and correlate with existing activity centres under Melbourne 2030 which: contain both public and private land provide community recreation facilities and opportunities which enhance the coastal experience provide appropriate areas for commercial uses, including ports and fishing provide tourist accommodation and activities have an increased density of development and range of uses provide for public transport and traffic needs contain development which exhibits excellence in design and complements or integrates with the coastal landscape and setting contain development which is of a scale appropriate to the local context complement and benefit from adjacent private land use and development. The objective for activity nodes is to provide a focus area for access to the coast, services, and social interaction within existing settlements and urban areas, and to link and integrate the public and private realms within this area. Examples of activity nodes include Warrnambool, Lorne, St Kilda, Mornington, Cowes, Lakes Entrance and Mallacoota. Recreation nodes Recreation nodes are areas that: are located on coastal Crown land, outside of activity nodes exhibit a high level of use and visitation for recreation and water-related activities offer foreshore and marine access, and may contain boat ramps contain recreational infrastructure such as piers, fishing platforms, walking tracks, picnic and camping grounds, and lifesaving clubs have identified strategic priorities for the provision of existing recreation facilities and provide opportunities for the redevelopment or expansion of facilities for the net community and public benefit. The objective for recreation nodes is to provide access to recreation and water-related activities where a genuine need is identified through a strategic assessment, whilst limiting the scale and intensity of development to that which is appropriate to the area. Examples of recreation nodes include the Twelve Apostles, Cape Otway lighthouse precinct, Bells Beach, Sorrento ocean beach, The Nobbies on Phillip Island, Squeaky Beach in Wilsons Promontory and West Cape in the Cape Conran Coastal Park. Figure 9 shows a conceptual model of the relationship between an activity node and a recreation node. Figure 9: Diagrammatic representation of the spatial location and possible features of activity nodes and recreation nodes Any development on coastal Crown land within an activity node, and within a recreation node should satisfy the criteria for use and development on coastal Crown land. See shaded box below. This strategy does not define the precise location, scale of function or hierarchy of activity nodes or recreation nodes. Instead, activity nodes and recreation nodes are defined by the Regional Coastal Boards, working in conjunction with DSE, local government, committees of management, Parks Victoria and communities of interest. Activity nodes and recreation nodes are identified in Coastal Actions Plans and management plans prepared and approved under the Coastal Management Act 1995. In 50 to 100 years, climate change may make some activity nodes and recreation nodes non-viable. Vulnerable activity nodes and recreation nodes may be subject to negative impacts in the short term. Any planning to accommodate this change must be based on vulnerability studies, the best current and emerging science and strategic justification. Criteria for use and development on coastal Crown land Coastal-dependent land use and development on coastal Crown land includes boat ramps, surf clubs, yachting, boating or angling clubs, boathouses, ports and harbours, as well as recreational infrastructure to support beach-related activity such as change rooms or toilets, seating, barbeques, shade structures. Not all aspects of these facilities are coastal-dependent and a reasonable balance is required when determining their appropriateness and location. Development on coastal Crown land gives people access to the coast and should reflect safety, recreation and industry needs. These uses and development are not needed at all locations along the coast and some uses may be better located inland. Development should ensure public access and encourage joint use by a range of coastal users. Opportunities for use and development on coastal Crown land are limited and competition for these opportunities can be intense in many locations. The limited land resources need to be used sparingly and for net community and public benefit. Use and development on coastal Crown land should meet the following criteria, where relevant: has demonstrated need to be sited on the coast and requires a coastal location to function located within an activity node or recreation node fulfils an identifiable need or demand that cannot be met elsewhere demonstrates considerable net community and public benefit and ensures equity in community access to new and existing use and development involved consultation with local and broader community facilitates multi-use of sites and existing infrastructure and the rationalisation of existing buildings and car parks without resulting in over-use facilitates improvements of sites or existing developments that have poor environmental or social performance is consistent with the requirements of Coastal Action Plans, management plans and the relevant planning scheme exhibits excellence in siting and design, complements or integrates with the coastal landscape and setting, maintains important public views, vistas and sightlines and is set back from the coast as far as practicable in line with vulnerability assessments (please see the "Siting and Design Guidelines for Structures on the Victorian Coast" and the "Good Design and the Coast" brochure, both available at www.vcc.vic.gov.au) will not be vulnerable to climate change risk within the lifespan of the new development enhances public access to the coast and will not result in a reduction of open space has carefully considered access, pedestrian safety and implications to the surrounding community from demand likely to be generated by the new use encourages access by modes other than private vehicle ensures that off-site impacts of the use or development do not detrimentally affect coastal and marine natural and cultural values does not disturb coastal acid sulfate soils supports market rent and appropriate rates and taxes for all commercial use of coastal Crown land to discourage the use of coastal Crown land as a cheap alternative to private land.

10 December 2008