SLSC president responds to canned parking plan

A PRESIDENT of a life saving club on the Surf Coast says it would have been a mistake for the state government to follow through on plans to implement charged parking along the Great Ocean Road.

Anglesea SLSC president David Marsh said clubs along the Surf Coast were breathing a sigh of relief following the rapid cancellation of a proposal to introduce parking fees on land managed by the Great Ocean Road Coast and Parks Authority (GORCAPA).

“I work in government, so I know how these things work, and someone has gone ahead and pressed a button here without thinking.

“It feels like a win for the community. The feeling I was getting from the other clubs around the region is that this was a bad idea.

“It wouldn’t have affected all the clubs in the same manner, but everybody was ready to push forward in our opposition to this idea.”

As part of the proposal, which was announced on Monday last week, the new parking fees would have applied to the land managed by GORCAPA, which includes the Twelve Apostles precinct, the Shipwreck Coast, sites including Taylor Park and most of Point Danger in Torquay, and the entirety of the car parks at surf life saving clubs including Anglesea SLSC and Lorne SLSC.

All funds raised through the charged parking would have gone directly towards the protection of the environment, and maintenance and improvement of visitor facilities and infrastructure such as lookouts, walking trails, barbecues, picnic areas, car parks and toilets.

Attorney-General Jaclyn Symes said on Wednesday last week that she was told the visitor parking charge would not be happening.

The Engage Victoria website set up to gather feedback about the proposal was also shut down last week.

Charged parking in coastal areas is not a foreign concept in Victoria, with parking fees enforced in municipalities such as Bayside City and Mornington Peninsula Shire, which both provide residents with stickers to make their vehicles exempt.

Mr Marsh said that while the concept was the same, it was incomparable to the Great Ocean Road.

“Our region is a destination point, rather than a suburban beach, and I know other clubs around Port Phillip Bay really struggle with it; they can’t get members to park nearby their beaches.

“Those clubs might get a couple of visitor passes to be used at their discretion, but it’s tough for them, and it would be the same here if it ever happens.”

Mr Marsh said the club’s worries would have been twofold, should the paid parking plans had gone ahead.

“It would be a struggle for locals to access our club, and it would force them across the road to busy carparks up and down Harvey Street and Murray Street, which tend to be already full.

“That again would then push our members out further, and then they would have to cross the Great Ocean Road, which is notoriously dangerous.”

Public meetings about the paid parking were planned to begin today (Friday, July 19) in Anglesea.