This overlay is applied to land which contains areas of environmental significance. The ESO4 in Lovely Banks areas was applied to land by the Victorian Government in 2010. An overarching biodiversity conservation strategy for the Northern Geelong Growth Area and a Native Vegetation Precinct Plan prepared as part of the precinct structure plan (PSP) process will investigate in more detail the presence and management of significant flora fauna and ecological communities in the area.

The framework plan sets the overall strategic land use and development vision for each growth area. The next level of detailed planning through precinct structure plans (PSPs) will provide master planning for neighbourhoods.

In May 2014 the Minister for Planning at the time wrote to Council to seek support for the acceleration of land delivery in the two growth areas. In October 2014 the Minister prepared adopted and approved without notice an amendment to the Greater Geelong Planning Scheme to rezone land at Lovely Banks from Farming Zone to Urban Growth Zone. The zoning of land at Batesford South (Western Geelong Growth Area) was not changed. The Minister’s decision was based on a desire to provide diversity in growth fronts across Geelong and to ensure that Geelong is positioned to accommodate redirected population growth from Melbourne. In June 2015 the current Minister for Planning wrote to landowners in the Northern Geelong Growth Area advising that as a precursor to any precinct structure plan (PSP) being developed it is anticipated that Council will lead the preparation of a framework plan to set the scope for the future PSP infrastructure requirements and preferred timing of land release. At its meeting on 8 December 2015 Council resolved commence the preparation of the framework plan and integrated infrastructure delivery plan. Community engagement was undertaken on draft future urban structure plans for the growth areas in May and June 2018. Council adopted the framework plan at its meeting on 26 March 2019. You can view our project timeline on our home page.

A zoning change may not immediately affect the valuation (and rates) of a property. It is only when the zoning change is reflected in the sales prices for property sales in the area that the valuation will be affected.

The framework plan includes the portion of the Batesford township that is within the Greater Geelong municipality. The reason for this is to ensure that the implications on this area is considered as part of the framework plan. Planning will focus on protecting the strong environment and heritage values of the area including the charm and character of the Batesford township. The plan illustrates the Batesford township protected from new urban development by a mixture of conservation areas river corridor and rural living and low density residential land. The Midland Highway duplicate or bypass project is being undertaken by VicRoads.

A series of community sessions and stakeholder workshops were held throughout 2017. Community engagement was undertaken on the draft future urban structure plans for the growth areas from 9 May 2018 through to 22 June 2018. A planning scheme amendment to implement the framework plan into the Greater Geelong Planning Scheme will provide the opportunity to make submissions. Learn more about how the community is getting involved.

The Future Urban Structure and other plans within the Framework Plan identify general illustrative guidance rather than precise locations for various land uses. Subsequent precinct structure plans (PSPs) will refine the proposals in the Framework Plan and provide more specific guidance on the location of various land uses including transport and drainage infrastructure. Preparation of PSPs will include further technical reports on individual precincts to refine and provide more detailed guidance on land use subdivision and infrastructure for each property in the growth areas. Each PSP takes approximately three years to prepare and landowners will be informed and engaged throughout the preparation of the PSP that their property is located within. If part of all of a property is identified for a public land use as part of the preparation of the PSP this land will be subject to compensation by the relevant authority (for example: VicRoads City of Greater Geelong Barwon Water Department of Education). There are various mechanisms and processes for how compensation can occur.

The Victorian Government requires the City to maintain at least a 15-year supply of residential land growth. Geelong is growing at a faster rate than the rest of Victoria. We can expect an extra 150 000 residents by 2036. This creates demand for an extra 73 000-plus dwellings. The Greater Geelong Settlement Strategy provides a strategic response to our increasing growth pressures and ensures that we can meet the region’s substantial housing demands in a sustainable matter through an appropriate balance of population growth within our existing suburbs and new greenfield.

A number of technical reports informed the preparation of the Framework Plan. These are listed in the References section on page 251 of the document. The technical reports generally contain more detailed information than the resulting content of the Framework Plan; this is appropriate as the Framework Plan provides high level strategic land use and development actions for each growth area that need to be investigated in more detail and confirmed as part of the preparation of each subsequent precinct structure plan (PSP). Preparation of PSPs will include further technical reports on individual precincts to refine and provide more detailed guidance on land use subdivision and infrastructure for each property in the growth areas. Each PSP takes approximately three years to prepare and landowners will be informed and engaged throughout the preparation of the PSP that their property is located within.

Schools will be provided within the growth areas. The future location and construction of primary and secondary schools within the new communities will be subject to detailed planning and consultation with government and non-government education providers.

Planning for large master planned communities means that the City must provide for all types of land use including public land uses such as parks community centres schools and stormwater drainage. If all or part of your land is nominated for public land uses then this area will be subject to compensation by the relevant authority (for example: VicRoads City of Greater Geelong Barwon Water Department of Education). There are various mechanisms and processes for how compensation can occur.

To provide a diverse range of housing types some areas of rural living and low density residential will be provided in the growth areas but the majority of residential development will provide for suburban development. The growth areas were designated to provide for long-term future growth for the region in the G21 Regional Growth Plan. State Government policy on planning for growth areas aims to encourage average overall residential densities in the growth areas of a minimum of 15 dwellings per net developable hectare and over time seek an overall increase in residential densities to more than 20 dwellings per net developable hectare.

When land has been rezoned and precinct structure planning completed it will be up to individual landowners to decide if and when they want to subdivide.

Precinct structure planning is now commencing for the first precinct in each of the growth areas. Development will occur in a sequenced manner over the next several decades.

Future traffic stemming from the growth areas will be managed via a new road network within each growth area and the improvement of the existing road network within and next to each growth area where appropriate.

Council resolved to adopt the framework plan and immediately commence one precinct structure plan (PSP) in each of the growth areas at the Ordinary Council Meeting on 26 March 2019. A planning scheme amendment will be prepared and exhibited in 2019 to introduce the framework plan into the Greater Geelong Planning Scheme. The framework plan provides an implementation strategy that outlines a program of precinct structure plans (PSPs) that must be prepared and approved before urban development in the growth areas is permitted.

Residential subdivision can’t occur until the land has been rezoned to Urban Growth Zone and a precinct structure plan (PSP) has been approved for the area to allow for subdivision to occur in an orderly manner and in accordance with a master plan for the area.

Growth will occur concurrently in both the northern and western growth areas. The framework plan has identified the first precincts to be planned and developed in each growth area: in the Northern Geelong Growth Area the Elcho Road East precinct; and in the Western Geelong Growth Area the Creamery Road precinct. Precinct structure planning for these precincts is now commencing and is anticipated to be completed by 2022.

This decision was made by the then Minister for Planning not by Council. No reason was provided as to why Batesford was not rezoned. A planning scheme amendment to implement the framework plan will rezone much of the Western Geelong Growth Area to the Urban Growth Zone.

The Northern and Western Geelong Growth Areas project does not identify land that should be compulsorily acquired. The vast majority of land required for a public purpose is facilitated through the orderly process of subdivision and development. Compulsory acquisition of land is only applied in rare cases when absolutely necessary for vital community infrastructure such as drainage roads and schools. Acquisition of land for a public purpose can be a necessary part of the planning and development process and is used in growth area development across Victoria. If required in Geelongs growth areas the process would be undertaken as part of future planning processes in the coming decades and would include extensive consultation with affected parties. We will work with residents as we develop precinct structure plans (PSPs) for these new growth areas.

Transport for Victoria responsible for the delivery of public transport in Victoria is a key stakeholder of the project. Public transport provision will be determined through further technical analysis as the project progresses and in response to other technical matters such as the future road network development layout and population.

The primary purpose of the industry buffer to the Geelong Ring Road Employment Precinct (GREP) is to ensure that land uses within the buffer are strictly limited to minimise the potential effects of future industrial development in the precinct. The buffer seeks to prevent the intrusion of sensitive land uses (residential and rural residential uses) from developing close to the industrial estate.

The plan has been amended to retain most existing Rural Living zoned properties in Lovely Banks in the Rural Living Zone until a precinct structure plan (PSP) is undertaken for this area. The framework plan identifies this area for ‘future investigation of residential.’ In the long term the City will undertake investigation of conventional or low density residential development as part of a future PSP process. Some existing rural living zoned properties in proximity to the Geelong Ring Road Employment Precinct are identified in the framework plan to transition to employment-based land use to provide Geelongs future jobs; however this a long term proposition and these lots will also remain in the Rural Living Zone until the eventual PSP process rezones the properties to Urban Growth Zone in the long term. A few small areas of the current Rural Living Zone that are planned for conventional residential density in the short to medium term are proposed to be rezoned to Urban Growth Zone as they form part of short and medium term precincts. Importantly it is up to individual landowners to decide if and when they want to pursue this transition upon the completion of future planning processes.

Precinct structure plans (PSPs) are master plans for local areas that usually cater for between 5 000 to 30 000 people. PSPs provide more specific detail regarding how existing important features of local communities such roads shopping centres schools parks key transport connections and areas for housing and employment may evolve or transform over time and become better integrated. PSPs will usually be the mechanism for providing direction on any planning zone changes and they will identify the need for new or additional infrastructure to support increased housing and employment along with funding mechanisms such as council infrastructure contributions charges.

Growth area development is funded via a number of different ways. Federal state and local government play an important role in funding high order infrastructure such as schools and arterial roads; however the majority of the development is funded by developers who construct roads drainage local parks and shared paths and then gift this infrastructure to Council as public assets which Council then maintains. It’s the cost of this private infrastructure investment that is then reflected in the sale price of residential or commercial land when it’s sold to the market.

The urban growth zone is applied to areas which are designated for future growth and aims to manage the transition of non-urban to urban areas. Urban subdivision and development can only occur once a precinct structure plan (PSP) has been approved for the area.