Large buses would be banned from stopping at an immensely popular hamlet on the Great Ocean Road under a push by local authorities to curb skyrocketing tourist numbers and prevent wildlife from being harassed.
Frustrations have been simmering among residents at Kennett River, who say their small community is being overrun by visitors seeking to get close to koalas, kangaroos and native birds.
Now, the Colac Otway Shire wants the Department of Transport and Planning to step in to prevent large coaches from stopping at the hamlet. The shire’s councillors recently voted in favour of asking the department to enforce a ban at Kennett River, which lies between Apollo Bay and Lorne.
Busloads of tourists arrive every day at Kennett River. Credit: Joe Armao
Late last year Kennett River residents said they recorded 104 “visitor impacts” over a 12-month period and most of them related to encounters with wildlife. Those instances included people climbing trees and shaking branches to wake koalas, feeding human food to kangaroos and cornering joeys.
In some cases, visitors have wandered onto private property searching for wildlife. The vote came after the Great Ocean Road Coast and Parks Authority asked the council to lodge the request with the department.
A Colac Otway Shire meeting agenda said the community had been flagging concerns about the volume of visitors arriving in large buses.
One of the remaining koalas at Kennett River.Credit: Joe Armao
“The Kennett River community has raised concerns over many years about the impacts of intense tourism in relation to safety, amenity and the natural environment,” the report said.
Large tour coaches can carry more than 50 people. However, the proposed ban would not cover mini-buses, vans and personal cars.
The report said tour companies provided drinks and food for passengers on coaches, and they also stopped at Kennett River to use the public toilets rather than spending money in the hamlet’s shop.
Kennett River Community Action Group co-founder Jules Lin welcomed the move to have large buses banned in the hamlet.
Kennett River residents Elenore Lannigan (second from right) and Jules Lin amid the tourists.Credit: Joe Armao
“Now we’re asking [the Department of Transport and Planning] to listen to community sentiment,” she said. “Anything over a 22-seater is not appropriate in that tiny precinct due to heavy pedestrian traffic.”
The 2021 census reported Kennett River had a population of just 74. However, its caravan park is popular with holidaymakers.
Colac Otway Shire Mayor Jason Schram said the Kennett River community had been calling for a ban on large buses for a long time even though the region relied on tourism to survive.
“But it’s got to be done sustainably,” he said.
Making the most of a photo opportunity in the hamlet.Credit: Joe Armao
The Great Ocean Road Coast and Parks Authority’s draft precinct plan proposes upgrades for Kennett River, including to its car park, which are designed to prevent ad hoc parking.
“The draft precinct plan does not allow large tour-operator coaches to enter or stop within the precinct,” it says.
The plan’s traffic summary forecasts the number of visitors per day at Kennett River would drop from 1941 currently to 892 by 2036, factoring in coach bans and reduced parking spaces and durations.
A spokeswoman for the authority said the draft precinct plan aimed to improve safety, traffic flow and the visitor experience while preserving the unique character of Kennett River.
“This approach is based on extensive community input, with the draft plan currently open for community consultation,” she said. “We are working with the relevant authorities to determine the process to implement appropriate restrictions.”
The Age sent questions to the Department of Transport and Planning, including asking whether it would be possible to implement the requested ban and what other measures might be considered.
The department’s Barwon south-west and Grampians executive director, Michael Bailey, said: “We are working with [the] council to determine the best outcome for Kennett River residents, wildlife and tourists.”
Great Ocean Road Communities Network chair Peter Christoff supported banning large coaches.
Residents of the Great Ocean Road have raised concerns about increasing traffic volumes. Credit: Ken Irwin
“I think it’s both viable and necessary, particularly in a hamlet the size of Kennett River,” he said. “It’s unsuitable to have large volumes of people coming through there.”
Christoff said the Great Ocean Road could not accommodate such large traffic volumes, but projections of rising visitor numbers would put more pressure on the road.
“Now is the time to address that problem.”
He said authorities should consider some form of tolls as well as significantly higher fees for tour operators to use the road.
“But one would need to think carefully about the implications of putting tolls on the road for other holiday users coming down from Melbourne.”
Great Ocean Road Regional Tourism was contacted for comment.
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