By Alesha Capone
Wyndham council has released a draft plan designed to guide future planning for the municipality’s coastal areas.
Wyndham’s environment and sustainability portfolio holder, Cr Heather Marcus, said the document focused on four key themes, including protecting the coastal area.
“Firstly, it’s about protecting what is unique – ensuring protection and recognition of the coast’s unique habitat, agricultural, historic, marine sanctuary, indigenous and volcanic landscape values,” she said.
Cr Marcus said the draft plan was also focused on “good planning” for sustainable future land use and development.
She said it aimed to respond to adverse environmental impacts and improve connectivity.
The draft plan proposes creating “a key connection along the Werribee River from Werribee central to Werribee South and the coastline”, dubbed the Wyndham Bay Trail.
Creating a shared pathway for pedestrians and cyclists would attract “a new range of users to the area”, the draft plan stated.
The document includes a “conceptual design” for the shared path alignment.
The proposed route includes a new connection from the Federation and Werribee River trails to the Coastal and Skeleton Creek trails, travelling through or near locations including Beach, Campbells Cove, Aviation, and Point Cook Homestead roads and the Saltwater Coast estate.
The document said “careful management of the farming interface” would be required to ensure the bay trail provided “a positive outcome” for both farmers and shared path users.
The draft plan stated that some Wyndham residents, who submitted feedback to help shape the coast management document, had “indicated that many of the locations on the Wyndham Coast were isolated and felt unsafe, especially Campbells Cove and the Point Cook Homestead site”.
As a result, the council will aim to improve public safety, and identify and reduce hazards in coastal areas.
The council has urged residents to provide feedback on the five-year draft plan before Monday, February 17. Details: www.theloop.wyndham.vic.gov.au/coastal-management-plan
