The iconic coast and parks along the Great Ocean Road are so special, and so important to Victoria, that dedicated, place-based management arrangements are being established:

  • Stand-alone legislation that recognises and protects the iconic landscapes along the Great Ocean Road as the ‘one integrated and living entity’ and makes the management of the region by responsible entities publicly accountable
  • a dedicated (statutory) coast and parks management agency with an independent, skills-based board, to manage – and be publicly accountable for – protection of the environment, sustainable visitation and delivery of government investments
  • a new overarching planning framework enshrined in legislation that has a long term and holistic outlook for the length of the Great Ocean Road to provide direction to localised and/or functional planning
  • a better planning approvals process that secures the regions prosperity and liveability.

The Great Ocean Road Action Plan is guided by five objectives that were developed with community input (during a taskforce review of governance arrangements in 2018):

  • Facilitate Traditional Owner self-determination
  • Protect the ecological and landscape integrity of coastal and marine environments
  • Protect distinctive areas and landscapes
  • Grow the local, state and national visitation economies
  • Modernise governance

Great Ocean Road Action Plan

Related projects:

Legislation

Legislation to enable and give long lasting effect to the management reforms outlined in the Great Ocean Road Action Plan was split into two bills.

The first bill established a stand-alone Act, the Great Ocean Road and Environs Protection Act 2020 (Act) which commenced on 1 December 2020:

  • recognising the state significance of the Great Ocean Road and its landscapes
  • strengthens the involvement of Traditional Owners in the governance of the coast and parks
  • establishing the Great Ocean Road Coast and Parks Authority as an entity able to be appointed as a committee of management for coast and parks along the Great Ocean Road
  • provides for the development and implementation of an overarching planning framework for the region; and
  • requires dedicated environmental reporting for this special part of our state.

The second bill established the Great Ocean Road and Environs Protection Amendment Act 2021 and commenced on 1 September 2022:

  • making the Great Ocean Road Coast and Parks Authority into a dedicated park manager for the Great Ocean Road Coast and Parks
  • assigning the Authority responsibility for managing Crown land reserves and National Park land within the Great Ocean Road Coast and Parks
  • allowing the Great Ocean Road Coast and Parks Authority to retain funds it generates that would otherwise be paid into consolidated revenue and to use those funds for any of its purpose and functions.
  • requiring increased  engagement of local communities in the stewardship of the Great Ocean Road coast and parks.

Note that the legislation will not alter the underlying management tenure and conservation objectives of any national parks areas for which the Authority assumes management responsibility.

View or download the Great Ocean Road and Environ Protection Act 2020:

Great Ocean Road and Environs Protection Act 2020

Great Ocean Road and Environs Protection Amendment Bill 2021

Page last updated: 11/11/22