Green Wedge Management and Protection
What we are asking
Protection of current metropolitan Urban Growth Boundary (UGB).
The Shire's concerns with the Victorian Government's Planning for Green Wedges and Agricultural Land Action Plan 2024 (PMGWAL Action Plan) and Securing the Victorian Food Supply inquiry report, are addressed.
Department of Transport & Planning engages with councils to assist in drafting and reviewing proposed planning policies or controls.
Clearer tourism and leisure-based policy, to ensure core Green Wedge values are protected and inappropriate urban encroachment is prevented.
Green Wedge areas are included in Regional Victoria programs to enable increased support for farming and food production.
Decentralised food processing and distribution pathways that benefit small-medium sized producers across the Peninsula.
What makes us unique
The Mornington Peninsula’s natural environment is fundamental to our identity and economy. Our Green Wedge includes world-class highly productive agricultural areas. An integral part of Melbourne’s food bowl, the Green Wedge produces large volumes of high-quality fruit and vegetables year-round.
Funding to support delivery of the Tyabb-Somerville recycled water scheme, to secure climate-resilience, is a related Shire advocacy project. Our region is critical to Victoria’s food economy and security, yielding the second highest value food production region per hectare in the state.
Our Green Wedge is recognised world-wide for its biodiversity and conservation value, including bushland reserves (Point Nepean and Mornington Peninsula National Parks), Arthurs Seat State Park, Greens Bush and Devil Bend Natural Features Reserve. Local wetlands are recognised by international treaties, notably the RAMSAR agreement.
70 per cent of our land mass is Green Wedge – nearly 50,000 hectares, outside the metropolitan UGB, demonstrating the importance of natural assets, agriculture and local food production.
Our Green Wedge has important environmental, landscape, recreational and tourism value, hosting 8 million visitors a year, spending $1.8 billion locally and is unique among Melbourne’s Green Wedges, being close to the coastline of Port Phillip and Western Port.
Safeguarding our natural environment is challenging, as it is subject to multiple pressures. The Shire has advocated to strengthen planning protection and controls, preventing inappropriate development.
Why this is important
Overall, Council in principle supports the PMGWAL and Action Plan, pending the release of how actions will be implemented within Victorian Planning Provisions. Shire concerns awaiting action by the Victorian government include:
Caution in strengthening controls and principles such as the ‘right to farm’ that may conflict with conservation and landscape objectives.
Confirmation that the characteristics of each Green Wedge will be reflected across updated planning policy, to emphasise non-urban values and purpose.
Planning policy and decisions will recognise and protect productive soil.
Planning applications for dwellings are required to demonstrate links to agriculture or natural systems and provide land management plans that are specified in decision guidelines and requirements.
Detail on increasing the flexibility for primary produce and farm gate sales given it is a complex issue requiring further consultation, prior to any planning scheme changes.
Planning controls need to ensure local farmers are supported, while avoiding inappropriate commercial intrusion of shop uses in the Green Wedge.
The need to explore mechanisms to prevent fragmentation of land through subdivision and re-subdivision proposals.
More comprehensive planning policy in relation to tourism-based uses, wineries and rural worker accommodation.
Strengthen the link between host farm accommodation and operating agricultural properties.
Prohibit residential caravan parks in the Green Wedge, to protect productive agricultural and conservation uses.
Considering the significant range of benefits and the future growth of Melbourne’s population, the Green Wedge requires careful planning and management to protect its values for the long term.
The Shire made a submission to Securing the Victorian Food Supply inquiry, based on Council’s adopted Green Wedge Management Plan and Food Economy and Agroecology Strategy. Whilst the Shire broadly supports the inquiry recommendations released in July 2025, Council supports Trust for Nature covenants in appropriate locations as they promote biodiversity conservation, which is an equally important objective to farming activities for the Peninsula’s Green Wedge.
Clearer guidelines and stronger planning controls will help efforts to support our $1.3 billion agriculture, food and beverage sector and protect the rural values of our Green Wedge
Benefits and supporting evidence
Council’s Housing & Settlement Strategy Refresh 2020-2036, Green Wedge Management Plan adopted in 2019 and Localised Planning Statement, seek to protect the Shire’s Green Wedge from inappropriate development. Council made a detailed submission regarding the PMGWAL Action Plan.
The Shire’s Green Wedge Management Plan provides a strategic assessment and policy response to key issues shaping the future of the Mornington Peninsula Green Wedge.
Our Biodiversity Action Plan and link to natural systems perspective, aims to protect and improve resilience of the region's natural environment and biodiversity, through planning and policy.