A new precinct concept plan will help guide and influence the future of Torquay’s Messmate Road Growth Area to ensure it is a liveable community.
The Messmate Road Precinct Concept Plan identified Surf Coast Shire Council’s goals for the area located between Coombes Road and Surf Coast Highway.
Councillor Tony Phelps said the precinct had been identified as a future urban area suitable for accommodating future growth in Torquay.
“A well-balanced plan like this is important to influence the future of Torquay’s remaining large-scale development area,” he said.
“This plan includes housing, open space for recreation, commercial space for open employment, community facilities, habitat and environmental considerations, traffic movement, waterways, and drainage.
“In other words, it is a whole lot more than just a housing estate and makes for a desirable and liveable location long into the future while contributing to the required state government housing growth.”
The plan was adopted by council during its 28 October meeting, which aimed to help meet the state government’s target of 8000 extra homes in Surf Coast Shire by 2051.
Cr Leon Walker said the plan guided landowners within the area and the state government to inform future planning and development proposals.
“It’s exciting, but it’s the first step in shaping the future urban structure of the Messmate growth road area,” he said.
“The precinct concept plan is a high-level conceptual plan that will inform more detailed master planning and technical work.
“It documents council’s development aspirations for the precinct, along with providing guidance for landowners and the state government to inform future planning and development proposals.”
The concept plan was developed in response to a request from developers for the northern end of the growth area to be considered through the state government’s Development Facilitation Program, a new state-led accelerated pathway for priority development projects. There is no current set timeframe for development to start on the precinct.
