Thursday, 20 February 2020

Great Ocean Road tourism

Mr CHEESEMAN (South Barwon) (09:54): The Great Ocean Road is one of the most iconic coastal drives in the world. From Torquay to Warrnambool, the road provides 243 kilometres of views of the Surf Coast and the Great Otway National Park. Construction began in 1918, and the workers who built the road were returned soldiers from World War I. The road is not only a fantastic scenic drive but is also a fantastic job driver. It was built as a monument to returned servicemen who served this country during the Great War. This makes the Great Ocean Road the largest war memorial on the planet, being hundreds of kilometres in length. It is also one of the biggest draws for visitors to our state.

Last financial year 251 000 international tourists visited the Great Ocean Road, spending $109 million and helping to create some 11 200 jobs. Even higher is the number of domestic visitors who flock to the coast to support these fantastic communities from Jan Juc to Lorne and Apollo Bay. Unfortunately those numbers have dropped in the last few weeks. The Great Ocean Road should be packed with minivans, buses and people making their way along this iconic coastal drive, but the coronavirus has had a significant impact on visitor numbers. I support and commend the work that has been undertaken by the government to support this community.