MORNINGTON Peninsula Shire councillors have moved to ease residents’ concerns after conceding “errors” in an interim erosion management overlay (EMO) had prompted widespread community confusion and angst.
The shire has mapped wide-spread landslide-risk areas across the peninsula after councillors approved on 17 November to advance an interim erosion management overlay – a planning control aimed at managing development on land most prone to landslides despite property owners believing they face no such risk.
The measure followed an urgent directive from state Planning Minister Sonya Kilkenny, requiring council to prepare an amendment to the Mornington Peninsula planning scheme to introduce the interim overlay.
The EMO is intended to cover areas considered “highly susceptible” to landslip risks – about 33,000 lots, including roughly 27,000 residential properties – that are not already subject to existing erosion overlays.
This was a key recommendation of the board of inquiry into the McCrae landslide in January that saw a house slide down the escarpment. The inquiry found the incident was caused by a burst water main.
“I think we need to put the community’s mind at ease,” Cr Bruce Ranken said at the council’s 16 December public meeting, adding the overlay’s intent was to safeguard the community.
“We must uphold both community confidence and sound risk management. These objectives are not mutually exclusive. We can protect life and property whilst also demonstrating responsiveness, accuracy and good governance.”
Ranken led an urgent business motion acknowledging community concerns and called for an accelerated review of the data and its accuracy.
He said community angst had increased and needed to be addressed without delay, noting the next shire meeting wasn’t scheduled until February.
“Many landowners report receiving notice of overlay applications on land they consider flat or not at risk, raising concerns around the methodology of mapping and the accuracy of the underlying data.”
Councillors voted unanimously in favour of the motion which included council waiving or refunding written planning enquiries and planning application fees “where there are clear data errors and where no other planning fee would otherwise be required”.
Cr Paul Pingiaro said councillors had been inundated with questions from residents confused about the “red dots” appearing on their properties.
“I concur that this is urgent business. I’ve been inundated with numerous emails, phone calls, people seeing me in the public asking about what that random red dot is on their property, and I think that we need to show a bit of solidarity with that,” he said.
He said the overlay stemmed from state government direction and board of inquiry recommendations but acknowledged the mapping required formatting.
“We are aware that this mapping needs refining and that’s why I’m really happy to see waivers for any topographical planning fees where there are clear data errors and where no planning fees would otherwise be required,” he said.
“It’s a bit unsettling to wake up one morning and find a red dot for no reason on your house… we do share the community’s angst with this because we are the community.”
Cr Kate Roper said the overlay’s sudden imposition had caused unnecessary panic.
“I think it’s unfortunately another case where we haven’t done communication as best as we could. It hasn’t been clear and it’s caused people a lot of panic that they’ve suddenly got this overlay on their land… this is a good idea to help people and so they’re not so worried,” she said.
Cr David Gill emphasised the need for continued community engagement, saying “we can’t do enough getting this information out there”.
As reported recently by The News, Mornington MP Chris Crewther raised the issue at Parliament this month where he called on the Planning Minister to urgently explain why 27,0000 Mornington Peninsula properties were suddenly flagged as being a landslide risk (Peninsula pushback over ‘overreach’ landslide map, The News 15/12/25).
The Minister has until 1 January to respond to Crewther’s question raised in Parliament.
A community petition is also set to be lodged with the state government, which calls for the rejection of the proposed overlay and direct the council to undertake and complete an assessment of the risk, likelihood and consequences of landslides on the peninsula.
First published in the Mornington News – 23 December 2025
