Figure 8: Coastal development
What defines suitable or appropriate development on the coast?
Appropriate coastal development is any type of development, from low-key conservation works to large-scale resorts on public or private land that meets the principles for coastal planning and management outlined in this Strategy. This Strategy's objectives are that:
- the extent of settlements is defined;
- areas between settlements remain largely undeveloped; and
- the extent of recreational nodes are defined, having regard to the principles for coastal planning and management outlined in this Strategy.
In the urban settlements around Port Phillip, much of the coast is already used extensively for recreation and other uses. Planning for these areas needs to recognise that some areas may be nearing or at maximum capacity. The primary issue is the relationship between development on private land and the impacts for public foreshores (eg. issues of potential overshadowing of beaches, design, amenity, congestion and capacity). Local government is a key player in this.
For the remaining coastal areas, the primary issue is the establishment of the limits of settlements, the broad scale protection of coastal landscapes and the determination of the scale and role of other facilities that are required and are appropriate, within and outside settlements.
Where is development
on the coast appropriate?
A primary focus of this Strategy is to protect the values of the coastal
environment whilst providing for appropriate sustainable use. To this
end, development pressure and infrastructure will be directed away from
sensitive areas (most of the coast) and managed within:
1. defined existing settlements (activity nodes); and
2. recreational nodes.
Directing development to discrete locations is designed to:
- minimise the overall impact of use and development on the coast and protect more sensitive areas;
- contain use and development on the coast to a limited number of locations;
- define the scale of use;
- properly establish boundaries for development areas;
- manage the development pressures that currently exist in some locations; and
- provide a focus
for use and facilities that have an explicit relationship with the coast.
In most cases, existing settlements (activity nodes) and recreational nodes are, or will be, identified and defined by detailed planning by Regional Coastal Boards, local government, committees of management and Parks Victoria through coastal action plans, planning schemes and management plans in accordance with the ecologically sustainable development principles for coastal planning and management outlined in this Strategy. The intervening lands will remain in non urban use.
Existing settlements
(activity nodes)
Existing settlements range from coastal cities and towns, to smaller coastal
townships.
Coastal cities and towns are areas:
- that are generally significant population centres;
- that generally exhibit a high level of use and regional visitation;
- that may be able to be further developed while meeting the ecologically sustainable development principles for coastal planning and management outlined in this Strategy;
- that have identified strategic priorities for the provision of improved facilities or sites where existing facilities provide an opportunity for redevelopment or expansion to increase public benefit;
- that may have priority for coastal and marine access, such as regional boat ramps and boat harbours;
- with significant planned population growth in the future; and
- with the infrastructure able to sustainably support further development.
The objective for these areas is to provide for development, within defined limits (both in extent and intensity) to protect areas of environmental significance and to preserve areas between settlements in non-urban use.
Smaller coastal townships in non-urban areas are settlements:
- that are not significant population centres;
- that generally exhibit a lower level of use and regional visitation;
- that provide limited opportunities for development in accordance with the ecologically sustainable development principles for coastal planning and management outlined in this Strategy;
- that have identified strategic priorities for limited provision of improved facilities or sites where existing facilities provide a limited opportunity for redevelopment or expansion to increase public benefit;
- that have lower priority for coastal and marine access, such as regional boat ramps and boat harbours;
- with no significant planned population growth in the future; and
- with limited infrastructure to sustainably support further development.
The objective for
smaller coastal townships is to limit the scale and intensity of development
to that appropriate to a township in a non-urban environment in accordance
with the ecologically sustainable development principles for coastal planning
and management outlined in this Strategy.
Recreational nodes
These are areas on the coast outside of existing settlements:
- that generally exhibit a high-level of use and regional visitation generally for recreation and water related activity;
- that may be able to be further developed, while meeting the ecologically sustainable development principles for coastal planning and management outlined in this Strategy;
- that have identified strategic priorities for the provision of improved facilities or sites where existing facilities provide an opportunity for redevelopment or expansion to increase public benefit;
- that may have priority for coastal and marine access, such as regional boat ramps and boat harbours; and
- with the recreational infrastructure able to sustainably support further development.
The objective for recreational nodes is to limit the scale and intensity of development to that appropriate to the area in accordance with the ecologically sustainable development principles for coastal planning and management outlined in this Strategy.
This Strategy does not define the precise location, scale of function or hierarchy of recreational nodes, rather, recreational nodes will be defined by the Regional Coastal Boards, working in conjunction with local government, committees of management and Parks Victoria, in terms of:
- precise location;
- appropriate use and development;
- scale;
- hierarchy;
- function; and
- boundaries.
Coastal action plans
and management plans, prepared under the Coastal Management Act
1995 can be used to define activity nodes and guide the application of
the planning scheme.
