Protect the Bellarine

Keep the St Leonards Town Settlement Boundary Unchanged.

Housing estate developers and some landowners are currently seeking to change the St Leonards Town Settlement Boundary to allow even more housing development.

If you’d like to stop the sprawl of St Leonards and help us retain the seaside town and natural environment that we all love about our village, please sign this petition.

Some housing estate developers and landowners are already proposing to develop a total of 4 large blocks beyond the current settlement boundary. They would like to convert the bush aspects and established trees of what's left of the original golf course into housing, plus land on the Drysdale side of Ibbotson St on both sides of the golf course, and a large block on the corner of Ibbotson and Bluff Roads to be included in the St Leonards Town Settlement Boundary. 

Say Protect the Bellarine, and Protect St Leonards.

The combined Bellarine Community Associations, of which St Leonards Progress Association is a member support the St Leonards Town Settlement Boundary as depicted in this petition.  We believe the town settlement boundary should be retained and reinforced as the long-term settlement boundary for St Leonards through the position currently contained in The City of Greater Geelong Settlement Strategy Amendment C395, and through The Department of Environment, Water, Land and Planning (DEWLP) Statement of Planning Policy for the Bellarine Distinctive Areas and Landscapes.

The City of Greater Geelong’s Settlement Strategy plans to keep the St Leonards Town Settlement Boundary as it is.  But housing estate developers are currently challenging this strategy at an Independent Panel Hearing (Amendment C395). Developers want more land for housing.

The combined Bellarine Community Associations say NO and support the Council’s position of NO CHANGE to our existing town settlement boundary.

What can you do about it?  If you share our view don’t sit back and watch as our town is changed forever – make your voice heard - 

o   Add your name to this petition.

o   Email the Member for the Bellarine Lisa Neville MP, and tell her 'Protect the Bellarine’ and that you don’t want the St Leonards town settlement boundary changed to allow more development and you strongly support the Geelong Council’s current position in Amendment C395. Email:  lisa.neville@parliament.vic.gov.au

o   Email the Minister for Planning, Lizzie Blandthorn MP and tell her ‘Protect the Bellarine’ and that you don’t want the St Leonards town settlement boundary changed to allow more development and that you strongly support the Geelong Council’s current position in Amendment C395. Email: lizzie.blandthorn@parliament.vic.gov.au

o   Keep the Geelong Council and Councillors strong in their stance and email the Bellarine Councillors, Jim Mason and Trent Sullivan, and tell them ‘Protect the Bellarine’ and that you don’t want the St Leonards town settlement boundary changed to allow more development and that you strongly support the Geelong Council’s current position in Amendment C395. Their email addresses are:

jmason@geelongcity.vic.gov.au

pmurrihy@geelongcity.vic.gov.au

·       Share your concerns with your friends on social media or over coffee. Encourage them to have a voice and sign the petition and participate in the email campaign. Ask them to tell their friends and colleagues.  Say ‘Protect the Bellarine’ and Protect St Leonards.

The best way for people to keep in touch is:

o   Like or follow the Protect the Bellarine, Facebook and Instagram pages or the webpage at  www.protectthebellarine.com

o   Become a member of St Leonards Progress Association at: secretary.progress@bigpond.com

o   Follow our regular updates in local newspapers.

Say 'Protect the Bellarine', stop the sprawl of St Leonards and help us retain the seaside town and natural environment we all love about our village. Please sign this petition and tell your friends.