Final infrastructure plans released…
Today GORCAPA have shared the Final Precinct Plan for the Improvements to Tourism Infrastructure at Kennett River, along with the Final Kennett River Family Caravan Park Master Plan.
The plans have just gone live on their Have Your Say webpage.
A summary of those plans, as briefed by GORCAPA is as follows…
Final Precinct Plan
The Final Precinct Plan reflects feedback from residents, businesses, visitors, and tour operators, ensuring future upgrades enhance local amenity and the visitor experience, while prioritising environmental protection and public safety.
The final plan builds on strong support for proposed parking changes, removal of large coaches, enhanced bicycle parking, shared-use paths, and the creation of a community gathering place near Kafe Koala.
Several changes have been incorporated into the Final Precinct Plan, including:
Reduction in motorcycle parking from 10 to 5 bays
Additional accessible parking on the service road near the river
Installation of bollards to improve pedestrian safety in front of Kafe Koala
Some might like a further deep dive into the What We Did, With What We Heard Report, which can be viewed here.
Kennett River Family Caravan Park Master Plan
The Final Master Plan outlines improvements that will deliver a thoughtfully upgraded, sustainable facility that celebrates the natural beauty of Kennett River. It improves site functionality and safety, integrates with key infrastructure upgrades, and enhances the overall visitor experience.
Sustainability is a cornerstone of the Master Plan, with a strong focus on water efficiency, environmental protection, and energy-smart infrastructure – features that were well supported in community feedback.
Native landscaping, increased green open spaces, and nature-based play areas are featured throughout the site, reinforcing a focus on sustainable tourism and biodiversity. Internal roads will be realigned to optimise traffic flow, and essential infrastructure improvements include an upgraded wastewater treatment plant.
Key Park improvements include:
Expanded shower and bathroom facilities, including four outdoor showers
Nature-based play areas to encourage interaction with the environment
A new central campground amenities block with a camp kitchen fronting the Great Ocean Road
Outdoor dining areas, integrated with rainwater harvesting and greywater reuse systems
Water-sensitive urban design and improved swale drainage to support environmental resilience
A mix of upgraded accommodation sites to suit a range of visitor needs
Future improvements outlined in the Master Plan will be staged over the next decade and will be subject to funding availability and further feasibility assessments.
Next Steps
Planning approval and design phases are now underway.
It is timely that GORCAPA has released these plans, particularly in light of the data from the GORCAPA riverbank counters, which have recorded 61,513 visitors along the riverbank and into the back of our community over the past 11 months.
The visitation breakdown is as follows:
Easter Weekend: An average of 371 people per day
School Holidays: An average of 328 people per day
Outside of the Holidays: Approximately 200 people every day
The Nature Walk received 13,810 visitors in 7 weeks over summer, an average of 1,900 people a week or 271 people a day. Some days, visitation exceeded 400 people. Arriving at 7am and still coming after nightfall.
Currently, across the triangle, riverbank, Grey River Road (up to the Surf Club), and the caravan park, locals are observing fewer than 10 koalas in the area. The decline in the koala population through climate change, mass uncontrolled visitation and the lack of any successful breeding remain valid concerns.
Experts advising government agencies have long recommended controlling access and limiting visitor numbers in areas popular with tourists viewing wildlife, in order to protect local wildlife and their habitats.
Our hope is that by reducing the number of parking spaces and excluding large buses, we’ll see a more manageable number of visitors, allowing our community (of campers and residents) to enjoy improved amenities, also giving us a better opportunity to protect the environs for future generations.
