Seaside development along the Great Ocean Road stagnates despite budget increases

The former Great Ocean Road Coastal Commission (now the Great Ocean Road Coastal Park Authority) was the original proponent of the plan.

However, VCAT has found that the restaurant does not rely on coastal locations. It was also intended to attract tourism income rather than support the marine and coastal environment.

Stewart said the introduction of the Marine and Coastal Act several years ago and its policies will shape what can be built at Point Gray, which in turn will influence what can be built at other seaside locations in the state.

Planner Rod Duncan, who has advised state agencies on coastal policy, said the maritime law has reinforced the requirement that proposed waterfront developments must be intrinsically linked to their location. .

Harbors, piers, and boat ramps are structures that are considered shoreline dependent because they do not exist elsewhere.

But Duncan said there are so many restaurants in Lorne that Point Gray doesn’t need another.

“It doesn’t really add anything,” he said.

Duncan said heritage exhibits or facilities that honor the loan timber, fishing, and other commercial industries that once used Point Gray would better reflect current policies.

But Anna Harliman, an associate professor of urban planning at the University of Melbourne, said one of the reasons VCAT set back development was its size and not the fairest use of public land. .

“It’s not very fair when you have to pay for a meal to access that space,” she said.

The redevelopment of Point Gray comes under the Geelong City Deal, a federal and state government plan to revitalize the area.

The development initially cost about $10 million, with $8 million from the federal government, $2 million from the Great Ocean Road Coastal Park Authority, and $450,000 from the fishing club.

But Point Gray was allocated an additional $2 million in February under a deal with the City of Geelong, bringing the total to $12.6 million.

Lorne Aquatic and Anling Club treasurer John Higgins said the clubhouse is 60 years old and desperately needs a makeover.

“We’re not looking for something spectacular,” he said. “I just want something functional.”

He said he needed a restaurant to replace the seafood restaurant that opened in 1986 and was open until this year.

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Great Ocean Road Coastal and Parks Authority Chief Executive Officer Jody Seiser said there are many locations along the Great Ocean Road that could need work in the coming years.

“Some areas along the Great Ocean Road are already vulnerable to coastal erosion due to climate change impacts such as sea level rise, storm damage, erosion and inundation,” she said.

A government spokesperson said the authorities support the development of a new master plan for Point Gray.

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