Council calls for significant reform to Great Ocean Road coastal management
November 24, 2016
The State Government’s proposed changes to the Marine and Coastal Act don’t go far enough to achieve the changes needed for significant management reform of the Great Ocean Road and coast, according to the Colac Otway Shire Council.
Council has unanimously called for a fundamentally new approach to the management of the Great Ocean Road and coast as part of its submission into the government’s Marine and Coastal Act review, arguing that the coast and road in our region are inherently linked.
Mayor Chris Potter said the State Government’s consultation paper had missed a major opportunity to make meaningful change, because it had largely recommended retaining existing management arrangements.
“Currently, more than 20 agencies are responsible for managing the Great Ocean Road and coast in our shire, which doesn’t best serve the interests of our communities or the complex nature of the road,” Cr Potter said.
“The recent fires and landslips along the Great Ocean Road have highlighted how challenging emergency management is in our region, particularly along our 95 kilometres of coastline.
“Colac Otway is arguing that a single, appropriately funded and resourced Great Ocean Road authority should be seriously considered.”
Council’s submission to the State Government argues that climate change, population growth, ageing infrastructure, fragmented governance systems and financing arrangements were placing every-increasing pressure on our coast.
Cr Potter said Council had emphasised in its submission that any future governance model for the Great Ocean Road and coast should involve the community.
“We have suggested that a future authority should be led by a mix of appropriately skilled people as well as representation from the community to ensure local needs are balanced against broader state and national objectives,” he said.
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