Committee For Lorne: A word from the Chairman – July 26, 2018

It’s been a big week for Victorian Tourism with the recent news that the Great Ocean Road has overtaken the Great Barrier Reef in visitor numbers – and that’s huge! It’s probably no great surprise to those who have this region in their DNA, as for many there has never been anything that compares to our sensational local environment. With more and more people, many from international locations, visiting our coastline, the pressures are even greater as to how we preserve our greatest natural attractions.

A number of media articles have appeared over the past month some focusing on the condition and “breaking up” of the Great Ocean Road, others on the lack of infrastructure for our visitors and some on the risk of over development and lack of facilities for the wrong reasons. All of which, in my opinion, make an interesting commentary on our region but not always with the knowledge and background information surrounding their stories.

One of these interesting reads appeared in the Melbourne’s Age newspaper earlier in the week highlighting a number of proposed developments along the Great Ocean Road (specifically targeting the Resort Development proposed at Apollo Bay) “overwhelmingly unwanted” by local communities” and Lorne’s Point Grey was one of those mentioned. Some weeks ago, in this very column, we provided a summary of the past 10 years where the Great Ocean Road Coast Committee (GORCC) began the journey to explore the most desired options for Point Grey.

The journey, although not always smooth, has continually involved the local community from day one and evolved to where we are today. A number of local representatives have given up their time over 10 years and in my opinion, there is one very clear set of criteria that has been agreed by all. The Point Grey Precinct needs to be tastefully rejuvenated for our future generations, the precinct needs to provide for two separate buildings and the Lorne Aquatic and Angling Club should remain in its current location.

It has been time consuming and fulfilling to be involved with GORCC in a process that has identified that the Point Grey Precinct is not being “reconstructed” to cater for large bus loads of international tourists as a “fast food” stop and parking bay for 50 seater buses but a development that all of Lorne can proud of. Although we have a Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning (DELWP) approved master plan that effectively delivers the three key criteria supported by our community, the real hard work sits in front of us to deliver the specific “creative and construction” functional detail of our naturally beautiful precinct without stuffing it up!

If you are unsure of where we are at, or what’s been done in the past few years, feel free to speak with one of our Community members involved in the process or indeed myself. As for the input to the specifics of “creative and design” progress don’t forget to attend the final GORCC session on August 11 from 9-12pm at the Lorne Community House. We all Love Lorne!

Ian Stewart
Chairman – Committee for Lorne