Victoria's coastline contains outstanding landscapes of great natural beauty and cultural significance - from wetlands, beaches, dunes, inlets and lagoons to rocky headlands, caves, forests, rolling farmlands, cultural sites, historic towns and the built form of coastal settlements. The vast majority of Victorians live close to the coast, and in addition to supporting commercial and industrial infrastructure, the coast is one of our leading recreation and tourism destinations - of immense importance to our economy and social fabric. The Victorian Coastal Strategy (1997) establishes a vision for the management of the Victorian coast. It provides the framework to ensure that the coast of Victoria will be a pleasure to experience by both present and future generations, respected by all and recognised as one of the nation's icons. By recognising that the coast is an important ecological, as well as a vibrant tourism, economic and community asset, the Coastal Strategy achieves a balance between conservation and development and provides a range of opportunities for coastal users and visitors while ensuring the long term conservation and protection of the coast's important values and features. There will continue to be increasing pressure for more development on the coast. This will include the further spread of coastal settlements and demand for improved recreation and tourism facilities. The challenge is to encourage sympathetic development, in appropriate locations, which complements the surrounding landscape and results in excellence in design and improved facilities. Protecting and enhancing our coastal landscape is of critical importance to our well being as a community and relies partly on understanding of our landscape resources and its sensitivity to change. The Coastal Strategy has identified a number of measures which will assist to protect and enhance Victoria's coastal landscape. These measures include: Providing direction for the location and scale of use and development on the coast by identifying coastal settlements and activity nodes and protecting the scenic landscape through the development of coastal planning overlay provisions in planning schemes to protect the essential character of coastal settlements and the integrity of the undisturbed areas between settlements. The development of siting and design guidelines to improve the design outcomes for buildings, facilities and structures in foreshore and coastal areas. The development of integrated planning and approval processes for the use and development of coastal Crown and private land. The Siting and Design Guidelines for Structures on the Victorian Coast and the Landscape Settings Types for the Victorian Coast have been developed to assist the Victorian Coastal Council, coastal managers, Local Government and other stakeholders to implement the Victorian Coastal Strategy by ensuring sympathetic development which complements the surrounding landscape and results in excellence in design and more generally by raising awareness of the importance of achieving sensitive design and development along the Victorian coast. Diane James Chairman Victorian Coastal Council