armstrong creek urban growth plan volume 1 - City of Greater Geelong

1 INTRODUCTION
1.1 THE GROWTH OF GEELONG
A man who does not plan long ahead will find trouble at his door. Confucius
City planning finds its validation in the intuitive recognition that a
burgeoning market society can not be trusted to produce spontaneously a
habitable, sanitary, or even efficient city, must less a beautiful one. Murray
Bookchin, The Limits of the City (1986)
The Armstrong Creek Urban Growth Plan (UGP) is one of the City of Greater
Geelong’s largest and most important strategic projects. It aims to concentrate the
majority of the growth of Geelong for the foreseeable future into a comprehensive
community in the area south of the railway line at Grovedale and Marshall.
There is a well-documented need for additional development to accommodate
growth in the Geelong region. According to the Draft G21 Geelong Region Plan 1 ,
the G21 region 2 “is the fastest growing region in the state, having experience (sic)
population growth of 1.3% per annum between 1996 and 2005. During that time it
grew at a faster rate than metropolitan Melbourne (1.2%) and Victoria overall
(1.1%) and accommodated on average an additional 3,300 residents each year.”
The Department of Sustainability and Environment’s Victoria in Future population
forecasts predict the Geelong Region’s population will increase from 254,732 in
2001 to 352,662 in 2031. The G21 Geelong Region Alliance (G21)’s population
growth scenarios indicate the possibility of faster growth in the region, resulting in a
population by 2031 of up to 510,000 3 . These two forecasts represent between
2,680 and over 7,000 additional people per year. This would result in a need for an
additional 58,000 to 139,000 dwellings by 2031, or between 1,700 and about 4,100
new dwellings per year. It is incumbent upon Council to plan to accommodate this
growth.
Most of Australia’s major cities have now recognised the importance of planning for
1 Draft G21 Region Plan—A sustainable growth strategy (2005)
2 The G21 region includes the Greater Geelong, Surf Coast, Golden Plains, Colac
Otway and Queenscliffe municipalities.
3 This forecast is based on the growth rate experienced by the Sunshine Coast
Region between 1996 and 2001.
ARMSTRONG CREEK URBAN GROWTH PLAN / VOLUME 1 (ADOPTED 13 MAY 2008, AMENDED MAY 2010)
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