A huge high-tech industry and business park proposed for Somerville which has raised concerns of traffic impacts and being inappropriate for the area is set to go before an independent panel.
The proposed development at 79 and 83 Bungower Rd in Somerville is predicted to provide up to 1100 jobs with the aim of addressing a “critical shortage” industry land on the peninsula. It would also act as a community hub with cafes, sports facilities, retail tenant spaces, and potential for a micro-brewery, while bringing the Brunnings homestead heritage site into an open space area to ensure its protection including any significant trees.
The site comprises two property titles totalling nearly 37 hectares, which are zoned as special use port related but deemed surplus to the Port of Hastings needs in 2018. It was declared regionally significant industrial land by the state government in 2019.
A planning scheme amendment, a privately led proposal by Procter Investments Pty Ltd, the founders of navigation technology company Sealite, was open for public feedback in 2023 with the Mornington Peninsula Shire receiving a total of 114 submissions.
The figures were presented in a report at the council’s 25 February meeting. It showed about 33 per cent of submissions supported the amendment, while 54 per cent oppose it, with the remaining submissions suggesting conditions or stated no objection.
According to the report, submissions included the Country Fire Authority, which raised bushfire concerns, and the Department of Transport and Planning in regard to potential impacts “to the safety and efficiency” of the surrounding arterial road network.
Under the plans, the proposed precinct was likely to be divided into several sub-precincts. This included a community and heritage precinct hub, an anchor site fronting Bungower Rd, a cluster of small and medium enterprises sites, an area for larger format use, and a landscaped buffer area adjoining Bungower Rd, Lower Somerville Rd and the southern boundary.
No road connection has been proposed to Lower Somerville Rd except for emergency vehicle access.
However, community members have cited concerns regarding increased traffic and heavy vehicles travelling through Somerville’s local streets, and that Bungower Rd “does not have the capacity to absorb” this, while others said there was a lack of public transport to the site.
Other submissions centred around the land being rezoned to green wedge or farming or that the precinct should be in Hastings – the preferred site in council’s Industrial Land Use and Infrastructure Assessment and Rezoning Strategy. Others mentioned an existing supply of industrial land in Somerville, and that the proposal should wait for review of all port land.
Councillors voted last week to refer all submissions to a planning panel that is to be appointed by Planning Minister Sonya Kilkenny. Cr Kate Roper addressed the meeting saying while she understood resident concerns, the benefits of such a project were “well supported” and would be an “important driver” for employment on the peninsula.
“We definitely need more employment options for our residents … this development could create thousands of jobs directly and indirectly. The intention is to attract technical businesses to the peninsula and give more options in space for employment,” she said, adding it also opened opportunities for ag-tech industries to move to the site. While she conceded “no doubt traffic will increase”, Department of Transport surveys “over the years have addressed this with measures to help traffic flowing in the area” and that upgrades to Bungower Rd had been planned and funded for this year.
Mayor Cr Anthony Marsh said he supported the amendment as he had been a “big advocate for trying to enable investment in innovation on the peninsula”. “There’s obviously some concerns raised around the room at the council level, but obviously the submitters as well, around traffic and transport, but on the information put in front of me, on balance, I can’t not support this amendment,” he said.
A panel hearing will occur over a week starting 12 May. Following the hearing, the panel will prepare a report with recommendations for council to consider. The state government will ultimately decide whether to approve the proposal or refuse it.
First published in the Mornington News – 11 March 2025
