Great Ocean Road revamp under Geelong City Deal

AN OVERHAUL of facilities at the Twelve Apostles will go ahead under a suite of projects along the Great Ocean Road to be unveiled by Scott Morrison today.

AN overhaul of facilities at the Twelve Apostles will go ahead under a suite of projects to be unveiled by Scott Morrison today.

The Herald Sun can reveal major new attractions will be built along the Great Ocean Road as part of the historic Geelong City Deal.

The detailed release of the Prime Minister’s $154 million cash splash paves the way for planning works to begin on the projects next year.

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Mr Morrison will be in Geelong today to announce a list of projects that includes a $3.5 million redevelopment of the city’s waterfront and money for a long-awaited convention centre.

The PM said the complete transformation of the Twelve Apostles and the Shipwreck Coast was a “game-changer” for the area.

“When it comes to tourism in Australia it doesn’t get much more iconic than the Twelve Apostles and the Great Ocean Road,” Mr Morrison said.

Tourists have been complaining about a lack of facilities for the Twelve Apostles.

The projects include:

NEW viewing areas at the Twelve Apostles, including an all-weather amphitheatre, viewing deck and emergency shelter, with Canberra to contribute $1.9 million;

REDEVELOPING the existing Twelve Apostles visitor centre into a “visitor pod” at a cost of $1.4 million;

A TOTAL of $20.2 million for a visitor experience centre at Glenample on the Shipwreck Coast; and

WALKING and cycling trails from Apollo Bay to Skenes Creek.

“Every year, 6.2 million people drive along the Great Ocean Road and two million visit the

Twelve Apostles,” Mr Morrison said.

“But we don’t want people just day tripping from Melbourne, we want them staying the night at a local hotel, eating dinner at the local pub, and buying coffee in the morning at a local cafe.

Cities Minister Alan Tudge said the investments in Geelong would support the continued transformation of the city and make it a more attractive place to live.

The commitments in Geelong include $30 million for a state-of-the-art Geelong Convention and Exhibition Centre, $20.85 million for revitalising the CBD and $3.8 million for the Deakin University Future Economy Precinct.

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