Responses to AIDA’s survey revealed

THE Aireys Inlet and District Association (AIDA) has again canvassed the town’s residents and holidaymakers about what makes the area great and what needs to be done to keep it that way.

The association ran its Community Opinion Survey late last year, and received 398 responses with more than 2,600 individual comments.

These results add to the longitudinal data AIDA collected in 1983, 1990, 1999 and 2015.

In her introduction to the 2020 survey, AIDA president Charlotte Allen wrote the association was particularly interested in hearing from people in the community who were not AIDA members but who wished to have their say, which was the case for more than half of the respondents.

“The survey response rate was particularly pleasing (as too was the high positive response to the idea of surveys as a mechanism for community engagement around critical issues and decisions),” Ms Allen wrote.

“What was even more pleasing was to find that the wider community’s attitudes are very much aligned with those of AIDA members, meaning there is strong support in the community to protect and preserve the low-key, coastal village atmosphere of our townships and our environment.”

The survey report is divided into six themes showing the community’s responses to:

• The essential character of the district
• The core characteristics of the community
• The type of tourism seen as valuable
• The types of development seen as appropriate
• Opinions on key assets, and
• The trends, challenges and opportunities for the future.

As well as the continued strong support for the protection of the many and varied aspects of the natural environment and the low-key nature of township’s homes and buildings, the survey revealed there is work to be done and actions to be taken around risk and mitigation of the area’s vulnerabilities.

There are perceived weaknesses around planning regulation adherence, environmental strain and the protection of place, and suggested actions to take to strengthen community capacity, social inclusivity, and the strengthening of the area’s voice to government.

Support for local businesses is particularly needed in the off-season, and the delivery of quality eco-tourism experiences and improved tourism management of the Great Ocean Road – particularly its visitation capacity – will test the ability to protect the environment and local communities.

Ms Allen said AIDA was making the results of the survey widely available so the information could be used by other community groups, local government and government agencies “to take actions to protect and preserve what is most valued about our area and to help design a resilient future for the Great Ocean Road, its environment and local communities”.