A CONTENTIOUS plan to build a 250-home housing estate near Mornington Racecourse is set to go before an independent panel to consider community concerns of traffic impacts, public space, and residential density.
Mornington Peninsula Shire has received two planning applications that propose to subdivide land into 116 lots that border Racecourse Rd, Watt Rd and Carbine Way, covering 13 hectares; about six times the size of the MCG playing field.
Named the “Woodbyne Estate”, the proposed precinct would apply to privately owned land at 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 10 Woodbyne Cres and 1, 2, 3 and 4 Albany Way, as well as the council reserve between 8 and 10 Woodbyne Cres.
The application by Tango Development No. 6 Pty Ltd seeks to subdivide land that currently has four existing lots each and proposes to remove the council-owned Watt Rd plantation reserve and create reserves for new public open spaces.
But for the subdivision and development to go-ahead, the council has proposed a planning scheme amendment called “Amendment C247morn”, allowing the rezoning of the land from a low-density residential zone to a neighbourhood residential zone. It would also permit the public park and recreation zone to be removed (Residents oppose planned housing ‘overdevelopment’, The News 21/02/25).
In addition to the proposed amendment, the proponent also intends to lodge a separate planning permit application to use land at 4-10, and 5 and 7 Woodbyne Cres for a proposed retirement village and residential aged care facility.
But the development would be reliant on the sale of the council owned reserve at Woodbyne Cres, with a “central park proposed to be transferred to council”, as well as three pocket parks.
Overall, the development includes a mix of conventional residential lots, medium density sites, new public open spaces, a drainage retarding basin and removal of some existing native vegetation. Housing would be limited to two-storeys.
According to the council’s Housing and Settlement Strategy: Refresh 2020-2036, Woodbyne Crescent has been identified as an area to be investigated for housing growth.
A total of 152 submissions have raised concerns of increased density and traffic (particularly Watt Rd and Racecourse Rd and surrounding roads), lack of access to public transport, the design of the precinct development plan, and environmental impacts.
Councillors at their 22 July meeting voted to refer all submissions to a planning panel which will be appointed by Planning Minister Sonya Kilkenny for independent review and recommendations.
This was supported by all councillors except mayor Cr Anthony Marsh and Cr David Gill.
Resident Adam Wright, whose property adjoins the proposed site, strongly opposed any development which he and others believed would contribute to “overdevelopment”.
“If the council passes the amendment and approves the subsequent developer’s plans without any changes then they are doing so with no thought to the community and the future of Mornington,” he said.
“This area of Mornington is already suffering from poor planning, and adding up to 250 houses with no serious plans for upgrades to infrastructure is irresponsible and inconsiderate for the future of our town.”
Cr Bruce Ranken, who organised a community meeting on 7 April at the Mornington shire office to hear resident concerns, along with Mornington MP Chris Crewther, said while the proposal provided a “thoughtful planned residential precinct”, he did understand concerns of traffic.
“We know that infrastructure in this part of Mornington is already under pressure and further development, regardless of who initiates it, will only increase that pressure,” he said at the meeting.
“Bungower Rd, for example, is a critical east-west corridor that already struggles with congestion during its peak.”
He noted the Watt Rd and Racecourse Rd intersection, and the Mornington-Tyabb Rd and Racecourse Rd roundabout were “another key concern” and “we now have the opportunity to be proactive”.
“We can work with the proponent and other levels of government to plan for timely upgrades that will benefit both existing and future residents,” he said.
Furthermore, Ranken said the proposed rerouting of bus route 784 along Racecourse Rd was “a welcome improvement, and we understand that funding is in place, but we must keep advocating until it’s delivered on the ground”.
Overall, he said the “proposal responds directly to the growing and evolving needs of the Mornington Peninsula”.
“It delivers on our adopted housing and neighbourhood character strategies by providing a thoughtfully planned residential precinct that includes smaller lot sizes appropriate for downsizers and our aging community, plus aged care and retirement living and essential services for our aging population,” he said.
According to a shire report, the Bungower Rd and Racecourse Rd intersection “can function appropriately under existing morning and afternoon peak hour traffic volumes, and with the traffic anticipated to be generated by the proposal” based on the traffic analyses.
However, it would “fail under a ten-year growth scenario during the afternoon peak period”.
“Overall, the analyses conclude that the proposal’s impact on neighbouring major intersections must be assessed relative to the scale of the proposal, finding that the proponent cannot be expected to resolve capacity constraints at the nearby major intersections,” the report said.
Deputy mayor Cr Paul Pingiaro said while he was “not 100 per cent convinced” by the plans at this stage, he was in favour of more housing in the Mornington area, which he noted was forecasted to grow by about 11 percent in the next ten years.
“I want to make sure that there’s a final word that we always support growth where it’s best planned, but we also need to ensure that our decisions actively reflect what’s happening on the ground and that we’re not creating future problems by either deferring, denying or approving,” he said.
“This amendment proposes a substantial increase to the residential density within the Woodbyne Precinct, directly adjacent to Mornington Racecourse. While it aligns with council’s broader strategy, there are some serious concerns that for me remain unresolved.
“Residents have highlighted real safety concerns, and I hope that the developer can address these.”
Cr Kate Roper also supported referring the plans to an independent panel, saying while she supported the development “in principle”, she also shared concerns that it will “definitely impact traffic flow” on Racecourse Rd and Bungower Rd.
“We do have a voluntary developer contribution with infrastructure, and I hope this development will act responsibly and contribute to improvements with the increased traffic flow particularly on Watt Rd and Racecourse Rd,” she said.
First published in the Mornington News – 2 September 2025
