Creek plan dumped

Surf Coast councillors have dumped a controversial plan to develop Spring Creek.
The councillors voted unanimously at a packed meeting on Wednesday night to abandon their shire’s Spring Creek Urban Growth Framework after receiving almost 3000 submissions against the plan.
The draft plan would have allowed enough new homes to double the population of Torquay and Jan Juc.
Mayor Libby Mears led a unanimous council chorus against the plan.
“This is the wrong plan in the wrong place at the wrong time,” she said.
“It should definitely be rejected.”
Cr Mears said it was time to consider whether Torquay could continue growing at 4.7 per cent a year, one of the highest rates in the state.
Speak Up For Spring Creek’s David Bell said he “could not believe” council had dumped the plan.
“I’m astonished – we’ve been heard by the councillors.”
However, Cr Jim Tutt warned some residential development at Spring Creek was inevitable.
“We don’t want to see a similar model to Waurn Ponds where boxes are merging on the hills. There will be some development at Spring Creek but we’ve got to work out how much,” Cr Tutt said.
Council left the way open for reconsideration of residential development at Spring Creek if it was “strategically justified”.
Councillors voted to begin research with community input on a project titled Sustainable Futures/Torquay Jan Juc 2040 to guide future growth.
Council wanted an accompanying analysis of how City of Greater Geelong’s Armstrong Creek growth area and bypass would affect Torquay and Jan Juc.
Council also voted for green belts separating Bellbrae from Torquay and Jan Juc.
About 200 objectors attended the meeting at Torquay Football Club, many wearing red shirts with Save Spring Creek messages.
The plan had earmarked for development about 600 hectares of mostly farming land bordered by Anglesea, Grossmans, Duffields and Great Ocean roads.