What to know about Newtown
- Land on the northern bank of the Barwon River through Newtown is in Significant Landscape Overlay Schedule 2, which protects the escarpment overlooking the river. A permit is needed to remove, destroy or lop vegetation, with exceptions such as listed weeds and dead vegetation.Source: Greater Geelong Planning Scheme, Schedule 2 to the Significant Landscape Overlay
- Newtown has several Heritage Overlay areas. Tree controls apply in HO1617 Rocky Point and HO1618 Woollen Mills, but not in HO1623 Newtown Hill.Source: Greater Geelong Planning Scheme, Schedule to the Heritage Overlay
- VICSES names parts of Newtown among the areas along the Barwon River at risk from river flooding.Source: VICSES, City of Greater Geelong flood guide
- Newtown had 4,508 private dwellings in the 2021 Census. 77.0% of occupied dwellings were separate houses and 20.5% were semi-detached, row or terrace houses or townhouses.Source: ABS 2021 Census QuickStats, Newtown (Greater Geelong)
What to know before landscaping in Newtown
If your block backs onto or overlooks the Barwon River, check whether it sits in the escarpment overlay before clearing anything. Significant Landscape Overlay Schedule 2 needs a planning permit to remove, destroy or lop vegetation on the river's northern bank, apart from listed weeds and dead plants (SLO2). A landscaper working near the escarpment should plan around existing trees rather than through them.
Newtown's older streets also carry heritage controls. In the Rocky Point and Woollen Mills heritage areas the Heritage Overlay applies tree controls, so tree work there may need a permit; in the Newtown Hill area it does not. Heritage Overlays can also set fence heights and designs.
Water, slopes and drainage
VICSES lists parts of Newtown among the areas at risk from Barwon River flooding (VICSES flood guide). On low-lying land, raised beds, permeable paths and good drainage away from the house make a garden easier to live with after heavy rain. On the slopes above the river, retaining walls of about 1 metre or more need a building permit.
Housing in Newtown
Newtown mixes period houses with townhouses and units: about one in five occupied dwellings was semi-detached, a row or terrace house or a townhouse in 2021. Smaller courtyards and narrow side paths suit compact paving, planter beds and access-friendly materials.
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