Amendment C243morn - Somerville Technology, Industry & Business Park

The amendment applies to land at 79 and 83 Bungower Road, Somerville.

The land is currently zoned Special Use Zone (Schedule 1 – Port Related Uses) which prohibits a range of industrial and warehouse-based uses if they are not linked to a port-related or marine service industry.

However, the land has been identified within the Port of Hastings Development Strategy (2018) and Melbourne Industrial and Commercial Land Use Plan (MICLUP) (2020) as land that should be considered for alternative industrial development.

The Mornington Peninsula Industrial Land Use & Infrastructure Assessment and Rezoning Strategy (2020) prepared by Hansen Partnership on behalf of Mornington Peninsula Shire also identifies the land as having the potential to accommodate industrial development given the location and characteristics of the site.

Amendment C243morn will provide for a broader range of uses in the proposed Mornington Peninsula (Somerville) Technology, Industry & Business Park.

The proposed new local policy and Development Plan Overlay (Schedule 24) will guide the future use and development of the land by:

• ensuring long-term opportunities for the establishment of strategic industries, manufacturing, research & development, smaller start-ups and small to medium enterprises through the provision of lots and buildings of varying sizes
• discouraging uses that should be more appropriately located in commercial centres or conflict with the primary focus of the precinct
• providing recreational open space which will contain facilities such as a sporting oval with walking and cycling tracks for the benefit of workers, visitors to the area and residents
• incorporating the Brunnings homestead heritage site into the open space area to ensure the protection of the homestead and any significant trees
• requiring the use of a range of environmentally sustainable practices and initiatives, such as the use of renewable energy, sustainable building design and best practice water and waste management throughout the site, and
• providing well-designed landscaped buffers where needed to ensure that an appropriate transition occurs between the new precinct, adjoining properties and surrounding zones.

You can view all the amendment/combined amendment and planning permit documents free of charge:

• online at the State Government’s website
• in person (on request) by visiting one of our customer service centres during office hours:
  - 90 Besgrove Street, Rosebud VIC 3939 (Rosebud Office)
  - 2 Queen Street, Mornington VIC 3931 (Mornington Office)
  - 21 Marine Parade, Hastings VIC 3915 (Hastings Office)

You can also read more about the amendment in the 25 February 2025 Council agenda and minutes. 

The amendment was publicly exhibited from 30 March 2023 until 12 May 2023.

Council received a total of 114 submissions.

Council decided at its meeting on 25 February 2025 to refer submissions to an independent Planning Panel for review and recommendations. The agenda and minutes of the Council meeting are available here: Community Council Meeting - 25 February 2025 - Mornington Peninsula Shire

The Minister for Planning has appointed the Panel and submitters have been sent an initial letter from Planning Panels Victoria (PPV) about the process.  

Directions Hearing (to sort out procedural matters)

The Panel held a Directions Hearing on 2 April 2025 to make arrangements for the main Hearing, discuss any procedural issues, and answer questions about the Panel process. Submitters who requested to be heard at the main Panel Hearing were sent a letter with further information following the Directions Hearing.

Panel Hearing (for existing submitters to present their submissions/evidence)

The Panel will now hold the main Panel Hearing, where submitters who requested to be heard can present their submissions and expert witnesses can present their evidence. The Panel Hearing will take place on the following days:

• Monday 12 May 2025
• Tuesday 13 May 2025
• Thursday 15 May 2025

You can attend in person at the Council Chambers (Mornington Peninsula Shire Council, 2 Queen Street, Mornington)

Submitters were asked to tell PPV if they wanted to participate in the Hearing at the Hearing by 31 March 2025. If you would like to participate in the Hearing but did not submit a request to be heard form already, please contact Planning Panels Victoria on planning.panels@transport.vic.gov.au or (03) 9935 4189. If you made a submission but do not wish to participate in the Panel Hearing, the Panel will still consider your written submission.

After reviewing submissions and holding the public hearing, the Panel will prepare a report with findings and recommendations that will be sent to Council.

All panel-related documents including Council’s submission to the panel and the panel’s report will be posted in the Document Library on this webpage as soon as they are ready.

Once Council receives the panel’s report, it must consider the findings and recommendations outlined in the report before deciding whether to:

• adopt the amendment (with or without changes recommended by the panel)
• abandon all or part(s) of the amendment

If Council adopts the amendment (with or without changes), we will submit the amendment to the Minister for Planning for approval. The Minister’s decision on the amendment can’t be appealed. If the Minister approves the amendment, a notice will appear in the Victorian Government Gazette and the amendment will come into effect.

If Council abandons the amendment, we will notify the Minister, all affected landowners and submitters of Council’s decision and the planning scheme will not be changed.

• call us on (03) 5950 1003
• email us at strategic.admin@mornpen.vic.gov.au
• ·visit the State Government’s website for more information about:
  • the planning scheme amendment process
  • planning panels and how public planning panel hearings work