What is this amendment about?

Amendment C243morn proposes to facilitate the use and development of the new Mornington Peninsula (Somerville) Technology, Industry & Business Park by:

  • rezoning the land from Special Use Zone (Port related uses) to the Industrial 3 Zone,
  • applying a new Development Plan Overlay to comprehensively masterplan the site, and
  • introducing a new local planning policy to help guide decision-making about future planning permit applications for the land.

Information sessions

Join us at Somerville Mechanics Hall for one of our information sessions about Amendment C243morn.

  • Monday 3 April, 5pm - 8pm
  • Wednesday 5 April, 5pm - 8pm
  • Thursday 6 April, 10am - 1pm
  • Wednesday 26 April 5pm - 8pm
  • Monday 1st May 5 - 8pm

Registrations are required.

Have your say - make a submission

We are now seeking comments from the community on the proposed policy and Amendment C243morn until 12 May 2023. If you want to have your say, you must do so in writing. Your submission must clearly state:

  • Your name
  • Your contact details (address and phone number or email)
  • Your reasons for supporting or opposing the Amendment

Your submission should also explain what changes (if any) you would like made to the Amendment

The closing date for submissions is 5pm, Friday, 12 May 2023.

Online submission (preferred):
Complete an online submission form.

By post:
Send your submission to:

Team Leader, Strategic Planning
Re: Amendment C243morn - submission
Mornington Peninsula Shire
Private Bag 1000
Rosebud VIC 3939

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 documents free of charge from Thursday, 16 March 2023:

  • 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 20 June 2022 Planning Services Committee meeting minutes.

To have your say about the amendment you must do so in writing by no later than 5pm, Friday, 12 May 2023.

You can make a written submission by:

Team Leader, Strategic Planning
Re: Amendment C243morn Submission
Mornington Peninsula Shire
Private Bag 1000
Rosebud VIC 3939

Please make sure your written submission clearly states:

  • your full name
  • your contact details (address and phone number or email)
  • your reasons for supporting or opposing the amendment
  • any changes you want made to the amendment

Council collects and uses information in your written submission according to the requirements of the Privacy & Data Protection Act 2014 and Planning and Environment Act 1987. This means we will use your information to:

  • consider your submission
  • notify you of the opportunity to attend Council meetings and any public hearing held to consider submissions
  • disclose your submission during the public panel hearing process (if one is required).

A copy of your submission, and any others received by Council, will also be made available at Council’s offices and on this webpage for any person to inspect free of charge for two months after Amendment C243morn either comes into operation or lapses.

In each of the above circumstances, we will always remove your personal information
(including your name, address and contact details) from public viewing.

For more information about how we protect your privacy, please refer to the Shire’s Privacy Policy.

Exhibition of Amendment C243morn will finish at 5pm, Friday, 12 May 2023.

Council will consider any submissions received during exhibition before deciding whether to:

a.adopt the amendment with changes that resolve all issues raised in submissions, or

b.refer submissions to an independent planning panel for review and recommendations if issues raised in submissions can’t be resolved, or

c.abandon the amendment

If Council decides to refer all submissions to an independent planning panel, a panel will be appointed by the Minister for Planning.

The panel will invite all submitters to present their submission at a public hearing.

The following dates have been pre-booked for a panel hearing:

  • Directions hearing (to sort out procedural matters): starting in the week of Monday, 28 August 2023.
  • Panel hearing (everyone presents their submissions/evidence): starting in the week of Monday, 2nd October 2023

If no submitters wish to present their submission to the panel, the panel will still consider all written submissions without holding a hearing.

After reviewing submissions, the panel will prepare a report with findings and recommendations. Council must consider the panel’s report before deciding whether to adopt the amendment (with or without changes recommended by the panel).

If Council adopts the amendment (with or without changes), we will submit the amendment to the Minister for Planning for final 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.

You can get updates at key stages of the amendment if you:

  • make a written submission to Council during exhibition, or
  • click the ‘follow’ button at the top of this webpage.