Comments from the Mayor

ANZAC Day On the Coast

This Wednesday, we join together to commemorate the Australians who have made sacrifices at war to preserve our nation’s safety and freedom.

I have for a number of years attended ANZAC Day services on the Surf Coast, including the annual dawn service at Pt Danger in Torquay which is always a moving ceremony.  This year I will attend the Torquay service from 5:45am, the Anglesea ANZAC Day service from 10am at the RSL Hall and the second service in Lorne from 11:30am to pay my respects and I encourage you to join me.

Cr Ron Humphrey will attend the Winchelsea service at Eastern Reserve from 11am, while fellow Councillors Dean Webster and Rose Hodge will attend the Torquay service and Councillors Jim Tutt and Libby Coker will attend the Anglesea service.

It has been fantastic over a number of years to see strong crowds at the services, particularly local children who are ensuring the ANZAC tradition lives on and the lessons of history stay with us.

This year, a park and ride service will again operate to Pt Danger from Spring Creek Reserve.  The buses will run from 5am and 6am before the service and at 7am and 8am after the service.

A dawn service will also be held at Lorne Epitaph In Reserve from 7:30am with a second service at the Lorne Senior Citizens from 11:30am, and a service will be held in Winchelsea at Eastern Reserve from 11am.

Important Meeting For Council

Due to ANZAC Day, Council’s monthly meeting will be brought forward to tonight (Tuesday 24 April) at Council’s Chambers with a number of important items on the agenda.

At the meeting, Council will consider a revised Coastal Management Plan for Bells Beach that has come about as a result of stakeholder input and discussions with the State Government.  The plan recognises significant works Council has completed on important environmental projects at the surfing reserve and plans for large coach bays to be located outside the reserve car park to better manage national and international visitors.

Council will also consider arrangements for the licensing of commercial tour operators at Bells Beach.  A number of tour operators, including large coach operators, already use the reserve without regulation and without contributing towards the upkeep of the reserve.

Licensing operators is an important way to regulate the activity of commercial operators and ensuring they also contribute financially to the maintenance of the reserve and the protection of Bells.

Apart from the fact we are now obliged by State Government legislation to licence all commercial tour operators using the Bells Beach Surfing Reserve, not implementing any licensing scheme would mean commercial operators including large coaches would continue using the Bells Surfing Reserve without regulation.

All revenue from the licensing of commercial tour operators will contribute to the management of Bells Beach.  Council is determined to protect Bells and I look forward to discussing these issues further in next week’s column.

School Sites An Important Piece of Torquay North

The State Government’s recent confirmation of the new Torquay secondary and primary school sites puts another piece of Torquay North’s future development into place.

As the main coastal centre for growth on the Surf Coast, Torquay North is important in ensuring we can meet the demand for new housing on the Surf Coast in an appropriate location.

Council has already approved development plans for residential subdivision near the Community and Civic Pr

ecinct and more will come before Council this year.

It makes sense that facilities like schools, sporting facilities Council has already provided and early years facilities Council will seek to provide as part of future stages of the Community and Civic Precinct are located around future family living areas.

Work has also recently started on bus stops on both sides of the Surf Coast Highway, near the Community and Civic Precinct; meaning the sporting facilities already provided and future schools and other facilities can be accessed via public transport.