Coastal views: draft master plan for Torquay foreshore released

THE Great Ocean Road Coast Committee (GORCC) has revealed its vision for the management of Torquay’s foreshore over the next 15 years.

Last week, GORRC released the draft version of the Point Impossible to Jan Juc Master Plan for public comment.

The master plan covers the 11.5 kilometres of Crown land managed by GORCC between the two points.

The 11.5 kilometres is split into seven distinct areas, with each area getting several proposed improvements to be done over the short (1-3 years), medium (4-7 years) and long (8 or more) years, as well as ongoing improvements.

These include:

• Investigating options to manage erosion of the cliff at Point Impossible and providing long-term sustainable access to the beach and surf break (short term)
• Relocating the nudist beach slightly to the east to align with existing beach access points and improving signage to mitigate conflict between beach users (short term)
• Investigating the need for surf lifesaving facilities and beach patrols at Whites Beach (long term)
• Reconfiguring the Fishermans Beach car park, including a sealed surface and a short-term drop-off area (short term)
• Upgrading the Fishermans Beach viewing platform (pop-up bar) to provide an all-weather restaurant for year-round use (short term)
• Providing a new DDA compliant path and ramp onto the beach at Cosy Corner (short term)
• Decommissioning or replacing the amenity block at the Voss (upper) car park at Torquay Back Beach to incorporate best practice sustainable design and initiatives (short term), and
• Monitoring and reviewing the use of the car park at Bird Rock and redesigning it to consider coastal erosion and cliff recession to facilitate the safe re-alignment of the Surf Coast Walk (long term).

Despite lobbying from the Torquay Bowls Club and its members, GORCC did not include a proposed third green at the bowls club in the draft Taylor Park masterplan in June last year, and it is similarly not in the overall draft masterplan.

There will be two consultation sessions about the master plan: January 24 from 10am-noon: Torquay Front Beach – opposite Growlers between Anderson and Price street;, and February 15 from 2-4pm at Elephant Walk, Torquay foreshore (opposite Gilbert Street).

Feedback is open until February 16.

GORCC says it will present the final master plan to the new Great Ocean Road Coast and Parks Authority (GORCPA) when it takes over the responsibilities of GORCC and other land managers later this year.

For more information or to see the overall master plan, head to gorcc.com.au/projects/point-impossible-to-jan-juc-master-plan.