A CONTROVERSIAL plan to build a giant high-tech industry and business park in Somerville is a step closer after Mornington Peninsula Shire councillors backed an independent planning panel’s report.
The proposed development, known as Amendment C243morn, would occupy a large parcel of land at 79 and 83 Bungower Rd in Somerville with offerings in manufacturing, research and development, smaller start-ups and small to medium enterprises.
The plan is being privately led by Procter Investments Pty Ltd, the founders of navigation technology company Sealite. If approved, it would see a technology, industry and business park created, providing up to 1100 jobs with the aim of addressing a “critical shortage” of industry land on the peninsula.
It would also feature cafes, sports facilities, retail tenant spaces, and potentially a micro-brewery.
The site comprises two property titles totalling 36 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.
Earlier this year the shire received a total of 114 public submissions of which just over half opposed the development (Tech park plan sparks traffic concerns, The News 13/03/25). Among concerns their concerns are traffic impacts particularly along Bungower Rd and being inappropriate for the area. More than 100 residents have also signed a petition fighting the proposal, noting the long-term environmental damage, traffic impacts, and that the site should be protected by green wedge values.
In February councillors decided to refer all submissions to a planning panel which delivered its report in June, having “concluded that the amendment is strategically justified and should be adopted as exhibited subject to changes,” according to a council document.
At their 23 September meeting councillors followed the advice of council officers after voting unanimously in favour of endorsing the proposal to the Mornington Peninsula planning scheme including accepting 13 of the panel’s 14 recommendations.
The shire did not agree with the recommendation of a discretionary setback of 50 metres to Bungower Rd, including landscaping within a discretionary 15 metres from the site boundary. It also rejected a discretionary setback of 30 metres to Lower Somerville Rd which would be used for landscaping and open space.
“The key issue with this panel recommendation is that it makes the setbacks discretionary, meaning future buildings and works could be approved within the designated road setbacks,” a council report said.
A planning permit has been issued for a high technology development of workshops, warehouses and associated offices known as the ‘Sealite Development’ in the northeast corner of the land under Special Control Overlay 10.
The northwest corner of the site is affected by the heritage overlay for the Brunning’s Homestead at 83 Bungower Road, Somerville, but under the plans the Brunnings homestead heritage site would be brought into an open space area to ensure its protection including any significant trees.
The applicant is seeking to apply a development plan overlay “to comprehensively masterplan the site,” as well as rezoning the land from special port uses to industrial. The council’s endorsement of the planning panel’s report will be referred to the Planning Minister Sonya Kilkenny who will ultimately decide whether to approve the proposal or refuse it.
Cr David Gill said while it was likely that the Minister would also accept the panel’s recommendations “as past history would say,” he expressed concern that it was problematic as the shire’s planning scheme had “too many discretionary uses”.
“We can’t know what we are protecting much at all when people can challenge it at VCAT or elsewhere. A real planning scheme tells exactly what the community wants to do, what the council wants to do, what the state government wants to do, and doesn’t allow changes through just going to court all the time,” he said. “Whilst I agree in general with the need for the industrial area, there are still some issues that probably won’t have a happy ending.”
Deputy mayor Cr Paul Pingiaro said the Minister may make changes to the amendment once submitted for approval but “neither council, the proponent, nor the submitters have the right to appeal the Minister’s decision”.
“Basically, this is procedural for us tonight. Unfortunately, we can’t have the influence we probably would like, but that was all done through the process,” he said.
First published in the Mornington News – 30 September 2025
