Anglesea Caravan Park update, environmental education activities and more! Find out the latest news on the Great Ocean Road
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January Edition 2017


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New Operations Manager

The Great Ocean Road Coast Committee welcomes their new Caravan Park Operations Manager Daniel Aitken to the team.

Daniel joins the management team with more than 25 years of experience in the hospitality industry in Torquay and abroad in the UK.

Daniel completed his Diploma of Hospitality Management at the Queensland Agricultural College before heading to the UK at 18 for "six months" which quickly turned into 23 years.

Daniel said he was looking forward to working closely with the education and conservation teams in the caravan parks to help promote environmental stewardship among holidaymakers.

“Educating our campers and guests is very important to help support the conservation and environmental work conducted year-round on the Great Ocean Road Coast.

“I’m excited to work with people that are passionate about the local region and area,” he said.

Read Daniel's full bio on our blog. 
Anglesea Family Caravan Park Update

Minister for Environment Lily D’Ambrosio has issued the following Media Release - Report: Anglesea Caravan Park Tender Met Guidelines

We welcome the findings and will continue to work with campers and the community through the transition process.

Thank you to everyone who has attended our open houses through January.  The response and the many discussions have been great and we look forward to hosting more throughout 2017.

A series of Q&A and drop-in information sessions to help clarify the management transition of the Anglesea Family Caravan Park from 1 December 2017.  An in depth Q&A fact sheet has also been developed and is available on our website. 

All sessions are being held at the Anglesea Community House, 5 McMillan St, Anglesea with the next one on Tuesday 31 January, any time between 10.00am-12.00noon.

We've also added the following dates from 9.00am-11.00am:
  • Sunday 12 February 2017
  • Saturday, 18 February 2017
  • Saturday, 4 March 2017
  • Saturday 15 April 2017
If you cannot make any of these dates, but have questions you'd like to ask, please email bookings@gorcc.com.au 

We've received hundreds of applications to camp next year and encourage current campers to fill out the online form available on our website. 

Community members and visitors to the park are encouraged to sign up to our mailing list to stay informed about any developments in this transition process. To join, please click here. 

Talking Lorne projects 

The Great Ocean Road Coast Committee hosted the first of a series of drop-in sessions on Wednesday 25th January covering projects along the Lorne foreshore. 

Community feedback is being sought on the following projects: 
  • Beach Access Ramps: The Great Ocean Road Coast Committee is seeking feedback from beachgoers on how they use the three main boat ramps along the Great Ocean Road to help guide future planning in the area.
  • Erskine River Master Plan: Erskine River Master Plan, establishes a long-term vision and plan to guide the future use and development of the Erskine Peninsula Precinct and Erskine Paddock Landscape Plan in Lorne over the next ten years.
  • Lorne Central Foreshore Master Plan:The Lorne Central Foreshore Master Plan is being develoepd in consultation with the Lorne community on the future management of the Crown land reserves.
The Great Ocean Road Coast Committee will host two further drop-in sessions at Lorne Foreshore on:
  • Thursday, 9 February 2017 2.00pm – 4.00pm
  • Saturday 18 February 2017 9.00am – 11.00am
More details and feedback forms available on the Great Ocean Road Coast website. 

Environmental education in caravan parks

It’s been fun all summer long with more than 50 environmental education activities run with campers of all ages at the Torquay and Lorne Foreshore Caravan Parks.

The Great Ocean Road Coast Committee has been conducting the free activities as part of their camper activity program throughout January.

Incorporating some of the most popular activities from the environmental education program, which is offered to schools and groups year round, there has been a jam-packed schedule for hundreds of young coastal protectors in Torquay and Lorne.

Great Ocean Road Coast’s Education Coordinator Hilary Bouma said the activities proved extremely popular, and were a great way for campers to experience the wonders of the coastal environment.

“We live in an amazing part of the world and it’s fantastic to be able to share that with the campers and help promote positive environmental messages," she said. 

Learn more about our environmental education programs on our website. 

Beach access ramp survey

The Great Ocean Road Coast Committee is calling for community members to have their say on local boat ramps to help guide the future planning and management of these sites.

User feedback is being sought on three boat ramps along the Great Ocean Road:

  • Fishermans Beach, Torquay
  • Anglesea Motor Yacht Club, Point Roadknight
  • Port of Lorne, Lorne.

Gaining community feedback is an integral component for the long-term planning at these popular sites.

To help inform future management of these coastal assets, please fill out this short survey. More details on our website.

Be aware this summer

Pedestrians and beach users are encouraged be aware of their surroundings and others throughout the busy summer period. 

The peak period has seen extremely high numbers of visitors to the coast putting a high demand on car parks, toilets, picnic areas and other facilities.

The Great Ocean Road Coast Committee is asking for everyone to be patient and respectful of others during this busy time so that we can all enjoy the coast we love and remember to take any extra rubbish home with you.

Great Ocean Road Coast Coastal Reserves Manager Caleb Hurrell said that it is important to be mindful of other visitors enjoyment of the coast, particularly with large groups. 

"Permits are required for gatherings of more than 20 people to help manage user safety, public access and rubbish along the coast. 

"The use of a structures or marquees must have a permit before they are erected on Crown land reserves to ensure everyone is able to enjoy the public areas," he said.

Hoodies facing unfair fight in the dunes

The vulnerable beach-nesting Hooded Plovers are struggling for survival this breeding season with hundreds of footprints were spotted from holiday beachgoers near the nesting and dune areas in Point Roadknight in Anglesea.

Great Ocean Road Coast Committee Environment and Education Manager Katie Dolling said this type of behaviour is unacceptable and causing concern at the popular hoodie nesting area.

“Dunes are highly sensitive ecosystems that provide protection to the coastline and habitat for several native species, including the Hooded Plover. Dunes are easily damaged by people accessing these areas.

“Trampling vegetation in the dunes compromises dune stability and their ability to withstand other environmental factors including wind, waves and rainfall,” she said.

Read the full story on our blog.

Hooded Plover Nest Updates 

Point Impossible, Torquay
Exciting news! Two eggs managed to survive Australia Day on the coast and have hatched on the 27th January. Please stay clear of breeding zones to help the hoodies reach flying age.  

Point Roadknight
There are currently 2 eggs at Point Roadknight West. The nest at Point Roadknight Tip is believed to have been washed away by high tides Monday 23rd January. 

Moggs Creek
Recently three eggs at Moggs Creek disappeared with no evidence to what happened. It is hoped that these hoodies will try again marking it their 4th attempt this season. 

For more information on the Hooded Plovers, go to the Save The Hoodie website. 

Torquay Fitness Trail 

The official launch of four new fitness stations on Torquay’s foreshore marked an early Christmas gift from the Torquay Rotary Club to the local community.

“With our beautiful beach as a backdrop, locals and visitors alike can now enjoy a gym work-out in the open air – in between enjoying their usual walk or jog along the Torquay Front Beach foreshore,” said Torquay Rotary Club President Lesley Shedden.

“After three years of planning and fundraising, it is a thrill to see this major Rotary project finally come to fruition to benefit our community.”

Caravan Park updates

The Torquay and Lorne Foreshore Caravan Parks have been a buzz of activity this Christmas and New Year. Both caravan parks have been booked solid over the summer holidays, with campers enjoying the free camper activities and sunshine. 

Visitors and guests were invited to attend an informal meet and greet of the management staff to allow an opportunity to ask questions, express concerns and put a face to a name. The Great Ocean Road Coast Committee is committed to delivering high levels of customer service and providing transparent communications across all our Crown land caravan parks.

Thinking of spending your next holiday on the coast? Why not stay at the Torquay Foreshore Caravan Park or the Lorne Foreshore Caravan Parks. Your camping fees help fund major coastal projects and conservation work along the Great Ocean Road.

Help make a difference along the coast and stay with us today! 

Community clean up coast

Teams of dedicated locals help start the New Year the right way with their annual beach clean-up post New Year’s Eve festivities.

The Torquay Lions Club and LorneCare environmental group have spent the first day of the year for the past 10 years removing litter and debris on the foreshore areas in Torquay and Lorne after late night celebrations.  

LorneCare’s Co-Convener Alain Purnell said the group loves doing the clean ups and this year focused their efforts between the Lorne Pier and Swing Bridge.

Read the full story on our blog.

Take care around cliffs

Pedestrians and beach users are encouraged to take care near cliffs along the Surf Coast following heavy rain in winter and spring.

Great Ocean Road Coast Committee, Parks Victoria and Surf Coast Shire Council said the start of summer was a good opportunity to remind community members and visitors about cliff instability.

Surf Coast Shire Councillor Libby Coker encouraged people to pay attention to signs and respect fences.

“We live in a coastal environment that can be fragile,” she said.

More on our blog. 

Anglesea erosion works

The Anglesea Beach Access Ramp at the back of the Anglesea Family Beachfront Caravan Park underwent works to address the safety concerns for the area.  

This popular area required immediate works in the interests of visitor safety coming into peak period.

These works began Monday 12 December and were completed ahead of schedule before Christmas.  

More information on our website.

ANGAIR propagation centre 

The Anglesea Community Precinct is a hive of activity as the new ANGAIR propagation unit takes shape and is expected to be ready for use in the early New Year.

The new unit will help grow plant species that are indigenous to the Surf Coast and the Anglesea Heathlands area, focusing on plants that are difficult to grow commercially.

ANGAIR President Peter Forster said the propagation unit provides an interesting opportunity for members to participate in plant identification, seed collection, seed storage and propagation activities.

Read the full story on our blog.
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