Have your say on Eagle Point plans

East Gippsland Shire Council is asking Eagle Point residents and landowners for their final feedback on three key strategic plans for the township: final draft Eagle Point Structure Plan, final draft Eagle Point Foreshore Management Plan and Eagle Point Foreshore Redevelopment draft concept.

These strategic plans are connected and Council is seeking community input through a single, targeted public feedback process. The consultation period will run over eight weeks from September 10 until November 9 2018.

East Gippsland Shire Council Mayor Cr Joe Rettino said it is important that any strategic decision-making includes input from the community.

“By presenting all three plans at once we are hoping that it will provide a clear, overall picture for Eagle Point for the next 20 years,” Cr Rettino said.

The final draft Eagle Point Structure Plan seeks to guide how Eagle Point is developed. An emerging options paper was open for public comment in mid-2017. The plan addresses land use, areas for growth, areas where growth is not encouraged, vehicle and pedestrian connectivity, landscape and environmental values, and cultural heritage.

“Through the feedback process in 2017, Council heard that the Eagle Point community wants to protect and enhance the character of the town. The final draft plan has been developed based on this vision,” Cr Rettino said.

The purpose of releasing the final draft structure plan to the community for comment is to make sure it is consistent with the community’s vision, values and objectives for Eagle Point.

The final draft Eagle Point Foreshore Management Plan will guide the management, protection and improvement of the Eagle Point foreshore over the next 10 years. The plan identifies and prioritises a range of actions for the foreshore, which were developed after an issues and opportunities paper was open for public comment in 2015.

One of the major projects that has been identified from the feedback received over the past four years is the redevelopment of the Eagle Point foreshore.

“Improving foreshore facilities is vital to supporting the visitor economy in East Gippsland. By creating a focal point for the township of Eagle Point on the foreshore between the caravan park and the water’s edge, we will also protect and enhance the environmental values that are unique to Eagle Point,” Cr Rettino said.

A range of draft concept plans were prepared and presented to focus groups in early 2018 to test what improvements need to be made on the foreshore. Council are releasing two concepts to confirm which concept is preferred by the community.

The three strategic plans and a short survey are available online at Your Say East Gippsland: https://yoursay.eastgippsland.vic.gov.au/eagle-point or can be viewed at the council customer service centres in Paynesville and Bairnsdale.

There will also be three scheduled open information sessions on Wednesday September 19 (Paynesville Service Centre, 2-4pm), Saturday October 13 (Eagle Point Stone Pavilion, 10am-12pm) and Wednesday October 31 (Eagle Point Stone Pavilion, 5-7pm) where residents can obtain more information, talk to council staff and ask questions or make a submission.

Public comments close on Friday, November 9 at 5pm.

Council has mailed letters to all Eagle Point residents notifying of this final feedback stage. If you are an Eagle Point resident and have not received a letter please contact Council on (03) 5153 9500.

Artist’s impression: The ‘Lake House’ (right) in option one of potential foreshore facilities improvements as detailed in the Eagle Point Foreshore Management Plan. The building would participate directly with the activity of the foreshore while being appropriately located to service the caravan park and relate to the existing shelter (left). The single storey building footprint is flexible and could include a convenience store, events space with deck, public toilets, caravan park reception and industrial kitchen. The basement could allow for storage space or a kayak/paddleboard hire shop.