Mornington Peninsula Coast Committee of Management

Whitecliffs to Camerons Bight Foreshore Reserve and Capel Sound Foreshore Reserve Committees of Management, together with the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action (DEECA), have established the Mornington Peninsula Coast Committee of Management (MPCCOM).

MPCCOM now manages both coastal reserves under a single Committee of Management (CoM).

Committees of Management (CoMs) play an important role in managing Crown land reserves across Victoria with the support and oversight of DEECA, who have the responsibility to ensure that the most appropriate land manager is appointed to manage these assets in the best possible way for the benefit of the coastal environment, residents and visitors.

Both the current committees and the department recognise that environmental and recreational significance of these coastal foreshore reserves, as well as the financial and risk management responsibilities, called for a highly skilled, professional and well governed body to manage these coastal reserves into the future. A single committee facilitates opportunities to create greater sophistication and efficiencies in the management structure than two separate entities.

Alongside this, DEECA’s Committee of Management Categorisation Framework articulates the department’s policy on the management of committees appointed to manage Crown Land Reserves. The Framework provides financial and public land value criteria to guide allocation of CoMs across different categories with each category having tailored oversight and support. A CoM with an annual revenue above $1 million is allocated as a category 1 CoM, and both these coastal reserves meet this criterion.

Land managers that are appointed to manage an area of marine and coastal land, such as CoMs, are required to develop a Coastal and Marine Management Plan (CMMP) which is a local scale strategic plan that is the primary tool for management of the reserves and provides a mechanism for land managers to implement an agreed vision for the area. CMMPs are a way to prioritise and manage demand and conflicting uses now and in the future. They also translate objectives, aspirations and values for an area into on-ground action.

A CMMP’s priorities come from legislation and policy, as well as engagement with Traditional Owners, stakeholders and the local community. They can cover multiple reserves and are approved by the Minister for Environment under the Marine and Coastal Act 2018 (the Act) and must be reviewed every 5 years after commencement.

Both WhiteCliffs to Camerons Bight Foreshore Reserve and Capel Sound Foreshore Reserves have current CMMPs which outline the management vision for the reserves. These CMMPs will continue to be implemented as planned.

A Transition Advisory Group (TAG) consisting of current volunteer committee members, foreshore managers and DEECA are actively involved in the establishment of MPCCOM and are working collaboratively to ensure the character and values of the foreshore reserves are retained and staff and stakeholder interests are protected during the change.

A commitment has been made to retain the current seasonal camping agreements for the Capel Sound CoM. Current camping booking systems and fees will remain in place for both reserves and the day to day management and running of the foreshore reserves will remain unchanged during the transition.

Boatshed Permits are issued annually to permit holders for recreational use only. Each year, licence fees are reviewed and altered in line with previous rate rises by the Annual National CPI rate. As the boatsheds are located within the Mornington Peninsula Shire, the Mornington Peninsula Shire Council also issues rates notices for boatsheds. This is separate from the annual boatshed fee collected by the Foreshore Reserves.

A commitment has been made to existing staff that employment conditions of all staff and foreshore managers will be protected for a period of at least 3 years after the transition and any future changes to employment conditions will benefit staff and foreshore managers. This includes the specific terms of existing employment contracts will be honoured, and that the status of ongoing employees will not change during this time.

Local decision making and volunteerism is an important and successful feature of the current CoM model, which will be retained moving forward. It is intended that with elements of administrative burden centralised and alleviated, local Coastal Advisory Groups will be established to ensure local communities are able to continue to have opportunities for meaningful involvement such as decision making and volunteering opportunities.

No, the names of the foreshore reserves will remain the same. The only change involves changing the CoM name to Mornington Peninsula Coast Committee of Management (MPCCOM) as one committee to oversee the management of both Whitecliffs to Camerons Bight Foreshore Reserve and Capel Sound Foreshore Reserves.

There are many benefits expected from the establishment of MPCCOM to manage these coastal Crown land reserves, in summary:

• Creates a management environment that encourages consistent and high-quality coastal management processes and improves environmental and cultural outcomes.
• Improved opportunities for community involvement in coastal management and decision-making which will improve the community and visitor experiences.
• Delivering positive, strong and active partnerships between coastal managers, stakeholders and local communities which will improve the interface between community and stakeholders.
• Creates a highly skilled and financially secure coastal management body that will provide financial sustainability and efficiency.
• Delivering cost efficiencies through management, structural and process improvements over time will improve risk management and governance, alignment with state policy and legislative frameworks, and improve workforce capability and organisational resilience.

Category 1 CoMs are appointed under 14(4)(a) of the Crown Land (Reserves) Act 1978 and are public entities pursuant to the Public Administration Act 2004 (PAA). Category 1 CoMs are appointed subject to Department of Premier and Cabinet (DPC) Appointment and Remuneration Guidelines 2024 and are classed as a Group C1 committee. The members are appointed by the Minister and the Chair is appointed by Cabinet.

Candidates will need to understand the challenges facing coastal managers and have professional skills. Highly sought-after skills include public land and environmental management, Aboriginal cultural heritage, asset management, commercial operations, legal affairs, human resources, tourism, marketing, community engagement and community leadership.

The selection process will be transparent, merit-based, fair and take into consideration a mix of skills and expertise, lived experience, local expertise, personal qualities, diversity and gender balance.

DEECA are undertaking a public Expression of Interest (EOI) recruitment process, including a position description, to appoint suitable candidates to MPCCOM.

Positions on the committee will be publicly advertised via Join a Public Board from 25 July closing midnight 10 August 2025. Successful applicants are appointed for up to 3 years and members are eligible for limited remuneration.

For further information regarding appointments, contact: Property.Portphillip@deeca.vic.gov.au.