Boundary no barrier: Developers ‘defy’ bid for western border

By Cherie Donnellan
DEVELOPERS will press ahead with their plans for Spring Creek despite council seeking to formalise the land as outside Torquay’s urban boundary, their spokesman said.
Tony White said council’s decision to seek ministerial approval for Duffields Rd to be the western boundary would fail to deter the developers.
Council will send the proposal to Planning Minister Matthew Guy this month.
Council previously recommended Spring Creek as a key urban growth area under its controversial “2040” plan before tearing it up amid community uproar.
Mr White said the developers group, which calls itself 1Kwest, would continue “independent community consultations” to determine suitable development for the area.
“The way the State Government’s planning laws operate mean the strip along Duffields Rd will ultimately be developed,” he said.
“We as a community can choose development that di-verts resources from the rest of the community, which has happened previously in the area, or we can choose development which contributes positively to the area.”
Mr White said council had “not been entirely honest” with opponents of high-density development in Spring Creek.
“Those who opposed high-density growth, including the 1KWest landowners, spoke of crowded beaches and car parks but under the shire’s current plans all that high-density growth will still happen, just in a different part of Torquay.
“They’re just shifting the high-density growth so all the additional traffic will flow though old Torquay, Wombah Park and The Sands.”
Mr White said new estates in north Torquay were “poorly planned, high-density developments”.
“It’s time we started looking at planning for what the community needs rather than passing the buck from one area to another.”
Mr White said the “landowners” still wanted to build community facilities such as a school, a community centre or public pool.
“We’ll continue talking to the community about how we can provide the community facilities that earlier shire-approved developments in Torquay and Jan Juc have failed to provide.”