Thursday, 18 May 2023

Western Victoria Region

Bev McARTHUR (Western Victoria) (12:47): (184) My question is for the minister for energy and environment in her capacity as minister responsible for the Great Ocean Road Coast and Parks Authority, that huge new quango that we have just inherited, and concerns the proposal to charge tourists to see the Twelve Apostles. Now, I am not opposed in principle to user-pays fees. In fact I have advocated for them for tourists visiting the Great Ocean Road – for example, through car parking charges because at this point in time local government has picked up the bill for toilet provision, rubbish collection and road infrastructure, so they need to be reimbursed if they are going to continue in that fashion. But I have two concerns for the minister: will the tourist revenue be shared with the local councils in the area or is this new charge just to fund the new level of bureaucracy GORCAPA represents, and is this new policy to charge for access to public land just the latest example of her government restricting Victorians’ access to their own national parks and Crown land?