Entry fees, tolls and parking fees are among the options that should be explored to secure an income stream for the tourist icon, both Corangamite and Moyne shires say.

It comes after Colac-Otway Shire said a user-pays system should be looked at as part of a major state government rethink into how the Great Ocean Road is managed. 

The Twelve Apostles area had a windfall last week with the state government announcing about $50 million to roll out the next stage of the Shipwreck Coast Masterplan, which it hopes will be matched federally.

But while the cash is welcome, local government says it’s not a silver bullet to solve all the complex management issues the famous road is facing, including about 17 management agencies in charge along the 243-kilometre touring route.

In giving their opinions to the Great Ocean Road Taskforce, set up to recommend reforms for the iconic route, Corangamite and Moyne shires have made it clear there is plenty of work to be done.

Both agree that the 17 agencies should be replaced with a leading body that has its own income. One agency would overcome problems with co-ordination and overlap, the councils said.

“There are a number of options for funding a new agency and its functions. One could be a toll on the road (or part thereof) with exemptions for locals,” the Moyne Shire report states.

“Parking and entrance fees could be levied at the main points of attraction. Tour operators could also be levied as they are at the Great Barrier Reef for conducting their business within the area.”

In its report, Corangamite Shire said an agency set up to manage the icon needed to have an income independent of state and local government, whether that be parking fees, entry fees, or income from caravan parks.

Corangamite councillor Bev McArthur said she had long-advocated for a user-pays system that would “facilitate those who live outside the municipalities to contribute to the maintenance and ongoing improvement of this entire area”.

Cr McArthur said the many agencies currently involved in Great Ocean Road management were delivering a “very poor outcome”.

“The roads are dangerous, the traffic congestion is terrible, the toilets are in containers at the Twelve Apostles and there’s no receipts coming forward from any tourists that visit this area.”

Corangamite Cr Neil Trotter said it was important that any lead agency or board was not simply another level of bureaucracy and must lead to a reduction in the number of bodies involved.

“The board must be balanced and a true reflection of the communities along the coast and along the Great Ocean Road and be subject to the democratic process,” he said. Moyne Shire agreed that a lead agency must include local representation.

Moyne Cr Jordan Lockett hoped the taskforce could strike the right balance between keeping the “rawness and the wonder… of the Southern Ocean” and providing a good visitor experience.

“I think there’s been damage to the reputation of the Great Ocean Road and I hope the taskforce can get on with the job of fixing road, safety, parking and user experience,” he said.

Warrnambool Standard