A “state of the art” dog park and no more “Cranbourne” style housing estates were on San Remo and Newhaven residents’ wish lists at a community forum held last week.

The forum is part of a series held by the Bass Coast Shire – with Rhyll having its turn tonight (March 24) and Cowes next week (March 29).

Following last October’s shire elections, it is a state government requirement that all shires consult the community, to shape council direction for the next four years.

The forum at the San Remo Recreation Centre last Wednesday night saw residents stick post-it notes of ideas, criticisms and suggestions for council.

There were recurring hot topics, including a repeated request for red bin collection over peak holiday periods, as well as a skate park for San Remo or Newhaven, “or wherever you see fit for the 5000th time”.

There were also some new ideas.

“A retirement village is what’s needed,” Desi Dutchman wrote.

“A lot more older people are making the sea change.”

Not surprisingly a key issue for San Remo residents was the sealing of Shetland Heights Road.

Resident Robyn Parsons said she was disappointed with the location of the junior secondary school on land zoned farming.

“I know there’s a desperate need for a secondary school but it’s such a pretty rural environment to have the zoning changed. It’s not the best position,” said Robyn, who moved to her one-acre Shetland Heights Road property three years ago.

“But if they’re going to build a school there then Shetland Heights Road needs to be sealed. Even now with all the development and trades and people cutting through the road condition is terrible.

“It’s disappointing because we bought for the ambience of the area and now I want to know if they’re planning to re-zone more land.”

Urban sprawl

A recurring theme highlighted at the first community engagement session four years ago was the need to lock in town boundaries as they currently exist, with no further housing subdivisions.

“Please no more small lot developments,” wrote one respondent. “Stop emulating Cranbourne housing estates.”

Megan Jackson wrote: “stop all the over development in our small coastal towns. ... Plant trees and start caring for our native animals and environment,” she said.

Natasha Crestani asked: “do we want to kill the very reason we love the island and moved here?”.

“Did the island attract you due to its beautiful countryside? Do you support crowded living or an actual alternative to Melbourne suburbia,” Natasha commented.

Councillors say the best opportunity for this is through the upcoming third round of the state government’s Distinctive Area and Landscapes (DAL) community consultation, expected in April.

The DAL will see the release of the draft Bass Coast Statement of Planning Policy (SPP), which will include a plan for guiding the future use and development of land, including locking in town boundaries.

Cr Bruce Kent said protection of the coastline from development was critical.

“The coast is what San Remo is so you want to keep the farm land right across the coast,” he said.

Cr Ron Bauer agreed saying locking in town boundaries in their current state was “key to maintaining the whole look and feel of the area”.

Traffic

Traffic congestion was also a recurring theme, with several suggesting the Phillip Island bridge be doubled.

“I would like to see better entry and exit off the island, maybe another bridge,” wrote Wendy Smith.

“I know it would be expensive but something needs to be done. The population down here has more than doubled since we bought 25 years ago.”

Environment

A creative idea by one respondent included starting an environment fund or foundation to revegetate Phillip Island.

A hot topic was preservation of trees, including on roadsides, prosecution of coastal tree removal and increasing areas of native vegetation.

“Support the Phillip Island Conservation Society’s significant tree register and eventually make it shire-wide,” wrote one resident.

Cr Clare Le Serve attended the first Council Plan community consultation in Corinella the previous week, saying the key theme to emerge was protection of the environment.

“People were concerned about the impact of hundreds of B-double trucks on the Bass Highway from the growing sand mining industry,” Cr Le Serve said.

“And they were certainly concerned about coastal erosion.”

Dogs, cats

There were numerous comments and suggestions about pets.

One respondent mooted a “state of the art dog park” near Cape Woolamai and Newhaven, even suggesting it be placed on the Vietnam Veteran’s Museum new land along the Phillip Island Road, which proposes to have access off the Cape Woolamai roundabout.

“I’ve seen them interstate and they include obstacle courses, water features, shelters and landscaping,” said Newhaven resident Penny Manning, who does not own a dog but sees the limited opportunities for dog owners.

Other suggestions included classes for dog obedience and an increase in fines to dog owners who do not pick up after their dogs.