Coastal Management Plan
In accord with the Coastal Management Act, we have been developing our new
Coastal Management Plan that details our land management programs for the area we
manage plus a 3 year Business Plan describing the proposed works for the area. Over
the next month we are presenting the draft of the Plan to our local communities to
obtain community feedback
Following the Committee’s review of that community input, the Coastal Management
Plan will be forwarded to the Minister for Environment for approval
About Barwon Coast
We at Barwon Coast, are your local coastal foreshore managers, and have the
responsibility for the management of 13km of glorious coastal crown land from
Collendina to Black Rock including our beautiful beaches in Ocean Grove, Barwon
Heads and 13th Beach. (Beach access points 7W to 42W)
The coastal crown land we manage has a variety of landscape characteristics
including the long sand dune of Ocean Grove, the limestone outcrop of the Barwon
Heads Bluff, the river estuary and associated sand spit and the rugged sand dune and
limestone outcrops along 13th Beach leading to the basalt lava flows at Black Rock.
We are also the manager of the Port of Barwon Heads and importantly operate two
large coastal caravan parks ie Barwon Heads Caravan Park and the Riverview Family
Caravan Park, Ocean Grove plus the Riverside Camping area for the six weeks over
summer. Our operational budget for 2006/07 is in excess of $3m
Our Mission
To conserve, present and enhance the natural and developed coastal environs for the
enjoyment and use by all.
Our Committee of Management
Our Committee members are volunteers appointed by the Minister for Planning being
the Minister responsible for the operation of the Crown Land (Reserves) Act.
Current Committee members are Ocean Grove residents Mark Edmonds (Chair), Ken
Guyett, John Lesser and Danny Keating & Barwon Heads residents Andrea Dennett,
Steve Craddock, Marg Scanlon, and Tim Goddard
The Committee meets on the third Tuesday of each month at 7.30pm at our offices in
Barwon Heads at the entrance to our 4star Barwon Heads Caravan Park.
Funding our works
We fund all our works along the coast from the surpluses generated from the
commercial operation of our caravan parks plus occasional major project based grants
During the past 3 years we have invested over $2m within our costal reserves and in
the current financial year we will be investing a further $1m on various works such as
building & repairing beach access stairs & tracks, maintaining playgrounds & BBQ
facilities, toilet blocks, car parks, walking & cycling trails, managing pest plant and
animal programs that focus on the removal of exotic plants and controls on rabbits &
foxes, removing rubbish from the beaches plus capital works etc. All of this work is
carried out at no cost to our local community and would not be possible without our
successful caravan park operations.
Major works and projects over the next 3 years as detailed in the Coastal
Management Plan
We will be enhancing our ongoing program of habitat enhancement within the coastal
dunes focusing on the control of exotic pest plants and pest animals (rabbits / foxes).
A number of these projects will be run in conjunction with various “Friends” groups,
school groups and project groups such as GreenCorps.
The ongoing implementation of our walking / cycling Trails Strategy will feature
strongly over the next 3 years as part of a project that will eventually create trails
along the entire section of the coast and river we manage.
At the Ocean Grove Main Beach we are proposing to upgrade the centre toilet block
including re-roofing. We will also place additional facilities near the Rotunda that was
upgraded last year along with the installation of new BBQ’s. Work has already
commenced on providing a new BBQ area to the west of the Surf Beach complex.
A substantial program will be the replacement of the Ocean Grove Seawall and
promenade. The project is estimated to cost in excess of $1m and we have received a
grant from the State Government to fund a substantial portion of the project. Later this
year there will be a period of public consultation regarding the options for
construction material for the Sea Wall.
New “Management Plans” will be developed for both of our caravan parks and at the
Barwon Heads Caravan Park it is proposed to build at least one additional 4 star
Beach House and to install a number of additional cabins.
We will also be reviewing the condition of all the toilet blocks and associated waste
management systems on the Ocean Grove Spit, once the location of the new Barwon
Heads Bridge is announced.
Copies of the draft Coastal Management Plan will shortly be available for review at
our office and we look forward to responses from community groups and individuals.
Bob Jordan
General Manager