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September 2014
 

 


Victoria's iconic Great Ocean Road

Victoria's iconic Great Ocean Road

'Could become de facto housing estate'

Tenants concerned over GOR park plan

Have your say

RESIDENTS are concerned that a proposed caravan park on Victoria's iconic Great Ocean Road could become a de facto "housing estate or retirement village".

Members of the local 3228 Residents Association  are worried there could be a shortage of guests wanting to stay at the planned $105 million park at Torquay due to its location.

"There is a real concern that this park, being a significant distance from the town centre and from beaches, may also find that it could be financially unsupportable as it is currently proposed," the association said in a submission to Surf Coast Shire Council.

"The owners may then be forced to seek a change to any planning conditions in the future and seek to change from temporary tourist accommodation to permanent accommodation."

BCR Asset Management's 50ha "eco park" in Coombes Road would offer 204 caravan sites and 515 cabins and accommodate 1380 guests.

A market assessment and economic impact report described the proposed development, which would include a wide range of recreation and other facilities, as an "attractive one" for Torquay.

It would make an important contribution to the holiday destination's tourism infrastructure, complementing the range of existing facilities available locally and in the wider region, it said.

It is estimated that up to five new caravan or tourist parks will be required in the Great Ocean Road region in the next 15 years to meet the predicted rise in visitor numbers.

While conceding there could be a need for a new park in the Torquay area to cater for peak periods, the association said it was not convinced the weather was good enough to attract people all year round.

The number of cabins/caravan sites proposed and alleged contradictory figures provided, led it to question the viability of the proposal as a tourist park with a $105 million price tag.

"We would not like to see the council in a position, in a number of years’ time, needing to consider a new proposal for the site with established cabins, requesting it to be turned into permanent accommodation due to 'unforeseen' financial situations," its submission said.

"It is not the council's responsibility to ensure the viability of a proposal if the developer's financial position changes or if the financial forecasts are shown to be incorrect."

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