Open house to gather feedback about Apollo Bay and Marengo projects

TWO community open house sessions will be held next week to discuss community and infrastructure projects at Apollo Bay and Marengo.

The sessions are being hosted by the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning (DELWP), the Otway Coast Committee (OCC), Colac Otway Shire (COS) and Regional Roads Victoria (RRV).

DELWP program manager for land and built environment Michael Noelker said community feedback will provide valuable insights for the agencies involved about projects in Apollo Bay and Marengo, including options for coastal erosion, the Great Ocean Road Authority, RRV’s proposed intersection upgrade and rock armour works update, and the COS Community Infrastructure Plan.

“Representatives from DELWP, OCC, COS and RRV will be in attendance at the open house sessions, to ensure the community’s voices are heard and understood.

“An inter-agency working group has been set up to ensure linkages in projects within the Apollo Bay community continue.

“There will need to be short-term sand renourishment along the Apollo Bay and Marengo coastline until a decision is made to address erosion in the area.

“Emergency works were completed in late 2018, which included the RRV rock armour walls, to fix the immediate risks to the coast.”

He said the agencies encouraged members of the community to drop in at any stage during the open house sessions, to share their opinions and feedback on projects within the community.

“This inter-agency working group is committed to working with the community to choose the best options for the environment, the coastline and the community.

“There will be an opportunity to share feedback for those within the community who are unable to attend the open house sessions online via the Engage Victoria website.”

The open house sessions will be held at the Apollo Bay Golf Club on March 22 from 2-5pm and March 23 from 10am-1pm.

A survey on the options presented will be available online from March 22 at https://engage.vic.gov.au/apollo-bay-and-marengocommunity-consultation.