The Local Areas section will focus on the integration of the themes and related topics in a way that is relevant to local communities.

There are seven local areas and two major bay systems within the Port Phillip and Western Port region.

• Bass Coast, South Gippsland and Islands
• Casey, Cardinia, Baw Baw
• Macedon Ranges, Hume, Mitchell, Whittlesea
• Moorabool, Melton, Wyndham, Geelong
• Mornington Peninsula
• Yarra Ranges, Nillumbik
• Greater Melbourne
• Port Phillip Bay
• Western Port.

The Port Phillip and Western Port region is home to almost 5 million people, so for simplicity these local areas have been defined by local government areas. 

This section may include consideration of important matters such as: planning; land use change;  landscape values; climate change; sustainable agriculture, water and land use planning; resilient and liveable cities and towns; recreational use; demographic changes etc.

 Each local area will include the following headings:

• Introduction
• Assessment of current condition and trends
• Major threats and drivers of change
• Vision and outcomes
• Priority directions, including reference to any strategies, plans and action plans, in which  targets, outputs and priority actions are described in detail.