VIC government denies plans to charge parking fees along Great Ocean Road
The Victorian government has denied it plans to start charging visitors parking fees at beaches along the state's Great Ocean Road. Despite seeking public feedback this week, the government appears to be backing away from the proposal amid backlash from some residents.
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00:00It's one of Victoria's most picturesque and popular destinations, but a plan to charge
00:07for parking has threatened to drive some away.
00:10I'd probably think twice if I ended up having to pay for parking on the Great Ocean Road.
00:14It's just going to make people better, I think, the thought of having to pay.
00:18The Environment Department this week proposed slugging visitors with parking fees at beaches
00:23along the Great Ocean Road, including hot spots like Torquay and Lawn, though locals
00:28would be exempt.
00:30I feel strongly that the beach should be accessible for locals and visitors alike.
00:35Government wastes money, you know, what do they do with it?
00:39A department website sought public feedback on the plans, but during today's government
00:43press conference, the move appeared to spark confusion and denials.
00:48I got told about this this morning and my advice is that we're not charging people to
00:53park.
00:54I did check with the Minister for Environment, but I was briefed on the lift on the way down
00:59that that's not a thing.
01:01Within the hour, the department's website was pulled down, with the Environment Minister
01:06later issuing a statement, saying,
01:08The Great Ocean Road is one of Victoria's best tourist destinations because it is accessible
01:13to families, and we won't implement any measures that would harm this.
01:17It's not good enough to be ducking from cover with vague promises that they may not tax.
01:22Revenue raised by the parking fees was set to be put directly back into the coastal regions
01:27to improve visitor facilities and help protect the environment.
01:31While the government has backed away from the fees, tourism groups remain adamant that
01:35more needs to be done to improve coastal infrastructure and support visitors footing the bill.
01:41Most of the infrastructure has aged and is not actually fit for purpose, so we really
01:45do need to see that investment now.