Great news for Great Ocean Road authority, but wait continues for distinctive consultation

LEGISLATION to establish a new authority to manage the Great Ocean Road and its surrounding land and parks has passed state Parliament, but the community will have to wait a while longer for any progress on the Distinctive Areas and Landscapes (DAL) process for the Surf Coast.
The passage of the Great Ocean Road and Environs Protection Bill 2019 means the Great Ocean Road Coast and Parks Authority (GORCPA) will be established by December 1.
GORCPA will take over the functions of the 11 different Crown land managers along the Great Ocean Road, with the state Labor Government saying the authority will deliver a more co-ordinated and sustainable approach to land and visitor management.
The authority will have its headquarters in Torquay and offices in Apollo Bay and Port Campbell as well as operational bases in coastal towns.
“These are landmark reforms to better manage the iconic Great Ocean Road and its surrounds for generations to come,” South Barwon Labor MP Darren Cheeseman said.
As well as setting up GORCPA, the state government has also been running consultation on the Surf Coast DAL.
Declared by the state government in September, the DAL focuses on Torquay and Jan Juc and extends along the coastline from the eastern edge of the Great Otway National Park to Breamlea Flora and Fauna Reserve, but also stretches as far as Bellbrae, Freshwater Creek, and into Mt Duneed.
A DAL has also been declared that covers the entire Bellarine Peninsula, and the deadline for submitting online survey responses to Stage 2 has been extended to midnight on Sunday, June 14.
Mr Cheeseman – who campaigned on fighting over-development in Torquay during the 2018 state election – said Stage 3 of consultation for the Surf Coast DAL and the release of the draft statement of planning policy was originally scheduled in April, but was delayed as a result of COVID-19 restrictions.
There has been some recent criticism of how representative the new authority will be, with the Aireys Inlet and District Association questioning the planning-heavy credentials of the Great Ocean Road Region Standing Advisory Committee and Derryn Hinch’s Justice Party MP Stuart Grimley calling for half of GORCPA’s board to be community members and business owners who live in municipalities along the Great Ocean Road.
In response, Mr Cheeseman said his government was “committed to delivering a genuine and independent community consultation for the Distinctive Area and Landscape process”.
“I am glad that the board of GORCPA will be made up of a diverse range of skills and talents to represent the multi-faceted Surf Coast community.
“Community feedback has been central to establishing the new authority and the legislation we’ve passed actually imbeds local input ongoing.”
For more information on the DAL program, head to engage.vic.gov.au/distinctive-areas-and-landscapes-program.