By Natalee Kerr
A “misleading” phone survey regarding proposed development in Spring Creek has angered a local MP.
MP Darren Cheeseman said concerned residents feared that “dodgy developers and their political mates” were behind the “biased” survey this month.
“This reaffirms community support for protecting the Surf Coast from unnecessary development,” Mr Cheeseman said.
“I invite whoever commissioned this survey to release the results for public inspection.”
The survey comes after the State Government declared Torquay and Jan Juc as “distinctive areas and landscapes” in September.
The declaration would “permanently” protect the towns from over-development, the government said.
But the announcement omitted any reference to Spring Creek, which the government previously promised to protect by restoring Duffields Rd as Torquay’s permanent western town boundary.
The boundary would make Spring Creek off-limits to developers, who have been planning 2000 homes on the land for more than a decade.
Community members earlier this month aired their frustration following a recent government-run workshop intended to help design Torquay’s planning policy for the next 50 years.
3228 Residents Association said it was “not impressed” with the consultation as it failed to address “main” community concerns including township boundaries.
Building height restrictions and settlement boundaries are set to be determined during a third phase of community engagement next year, according to government.
