Western Port Coastal Villages & Surrounding Settlements Strategy
The Western Port Coastal Villages & Surrounding Settlements Strategy (adopted 2019) aims to address potential climate change impacts on the Western Port Bay coastline while protecting and enhancing township character.
The Strategy delivers on Council’s commitment to ensuring our community is resilient and adaptable to climate change.
Development of the Strategy was funded by the State Government’s Coastal Planning Grants Program and is based on extensive background research, analysis and community consultation undertaken during 2018 to 2019.
The Strategy specifically responds to the findings of the Western Port Local Coastal Hazard Assessment which provides the best available scientific mapping, modelling and data of potential storm surge and sea level rise impacts of 0.8 metres by the year 2100.
The Strategy provides:
- An overall vision and set of design objectives for each township;
- A framework plan for each township;
- Defined character areas and associated design guidelines for commercial, industrial and foreshore land in each township, with residential guidelines adapted from Council’s adopted Neighbourhood Character Study & Guidelines;
- Mapping of potential coastal inundation and erosion hazards for each township; and
- Recommended actions to address coastal hazards through the planning system and other initiatives in partnership with the State Government and allied government agencies.
Townships included within the Strategy are: Hastings, Tyabb, Bittern, Crib Point, Balnarring and Balnarring Beach, Flinders, Red Hill and Red Hill South, Somers, Merricks and Merricks Beach, Point Leo and Shoreham.
Township brochures summarise how the Strategy affects each township individually.
A structure plan determines what is working well in an area and how this can be enhanced, as well as how the area can grow and change in the future. It provides clear strategies for how this can be achieved.
Western Port Coastal Villages Surrounding Settlements Strategy Adopted 14 October 2019(PDF, 63MB)
The recommendations of the Strategy were implemented in the Mornington Peninsula Planning Scheme by Amendment C271morn on 9 January 2025.
Council noted the progress report relating to the Western Port Coastal Villages & Surrounding Settlements Strategy at a Council Meeting on: