Planning your own event

Community festivals and events are a great way for the Surf Coast Shire community to come together in celebration. The Council is committed to promoting and supporting diversity through events that are well planned and conducted.

Apply to hold an event on the Surf Coast

All events held in the Surf Coast Shire or on Great Ocean Road land can be applied for with the same form. For further information regarding the land manager, check the detailed map(PDF, 3MB) .

Approval times

Approval can take between three and twelve months to be granted. This can vary due to the complexity of your event, the number of permits your event requires, your current management plan and the number of agencies that need to make comment on your plan eg a large event may require road closures or significant traffic management planning.

Insurance

Events large and small usually need insurance cover to protect both the organiser and event participants. The only instance where you may not require insurance is for a one-off event in a Council-managed community house or hall, where the Surf Coast Shire's own insurance is usually sufficient. However it is still worth checking this, as a large one-off event may still require cover.

The Municipal Association of Victoria website provides helpful information on insuring your event.

Grants

See Events Grants Programs for more information on financial assistance for events in Surf Coast Shire.   

Event promotion

A guide to promoting your event on the Surf Coast Shire has been developed to assist the event organiser in the marketing and promotion of your event.

Avenues for promoting your event:

• List your event on The Australian Tourism Data Warehouse (ATDW) - a central content and distribution platform for the Australian tourism industry.  ATDW listings appear on visitvictoria.com and many regional tourism organisation websites. Prepare your image and sales pitch and create an ATDW listing here https://oauth.atdw-online.com.au/login
• Free event listing in Surf Coast Shire Event Calendar
• Promotion on event board signs at town entrances - email lhume@surfcoast.vic.gov.au
• PR exposure and social media activity through Great Ocean Road Regional Tourism and Tourism Victoria teams

• Visitor Information Centres can assist you to promote your event
• Provision of maps and guides for event competitors, email tourism@surfcoast.vic.gov.au

More information

Contacts:

• Lynne Hume, Events Planning Officer on 5261 0600 or lhume@surfcoast.vic.gov.au or
• Jim Lawson, Events Liaison Officer on 5261 0600 or jlawson@surfcoast.vic.gov.au

Resources:

• Event guide for event planners
  (PDF, 682KB)
• Weddings
• Application Form to hold an event on Surf Coast Shire land
• Information on planning on-road cycling events
• Ensure your event is accessible to people with disabilities(PDF, 207KB)
• Foreshore Events:
  Foreshore event information guide(PDF, 227KB)
  Application for foreshore events