Delivering the Apollo Bay Harbour Redevelopment
Published on 14 September 2023
We’ve taken over delivery of the highly anticipated Apollo Bay Harbour Redevelopment with a great deal of excitement, and we’re pleased to report we have hit the ground running.
In June 2023, the Authority was provided $10.19 million to deliver four elements of the Apollo Bay Harbour Development Plan, including:
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An extension of the Apollo Bay Fisherman’s Cooperative building to accommodate an approved commercial offering in line with Marine and Coastal Act and Policy requirements;
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Relocation of the Port Operations Depot from its existing location to the Mother’s Beach car park;
The $10.19 million represents the balance of available funding transferred to the Authority after accounting for project expenditure incurred by Council.
It’s important to note that the Geelong City Deal project for the Apollo Bay Harbour Redevelopment is not, in fact, an agreement to deliver the Development Plan adopted by Colac Otway Shire in 2020.
In the three months since formalising the funding agreement, we’ve appointed an independent local consultant, Coastal Planning, to undertake a review of the existing Development Plan to ensure the desired outcomes of the Plan can be achieved in the current legislative and policy environment.
The anticipated timeline for completion of the review is November 2023.
The review is a crucial step, to ensure the elements to be delivered from the Apollo Bay Harbour Development Plan 2020 comply with the Marine and Coastal Act 2018, including ensuring consistency with the Marine and Coastal Policy (2020).
We’ve been working in collaboration with officers from the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action and Colac Otway Shire, to ensure the review will provide guidance and certainty to the project team, key stakeholders and community.
The process required to deliver such important infrastructure in a coastal environment is significant, and the project will go through a comprehensive Planning and Detailed Design Phase that includes costing the works before entering the Construction Phase.
The Great Ocean Road projects are being delivered as part of the $500 million Geelong City Deal, a collaborative partnership to transform Geelong and the Great Ocean Road by the Australian Government and Victorian Government, and local council with the Authority and key partners.
(PDF, 132KB)
Timeline
October 2018 – funding announced for Council to deliver the Apollo Bay Harbour Precinct Redevelopment.
March 2019 – signing of the Geelong City Deal by the Australian Government, Victorian Government and the City of Greater Geelong, designating Colac Otway Shire as the delivery agency.
September 2019 - signing of the Geelong City Deal Implementation Plan between the Australian and Victorian Governments.
March 2020 - new policy prepared by the Victorian Government under the Marine and Coastal Act 2018, came into effect to guide planning and management of the marine and coastal environment so that ecosystems, communities, industries and built assets are resilient in the face of future climate change, including from natural hazards, population growth or a combination of these factors.
February 2023 - revised funding arrangements announced for the Geelong City Deal projects located along the Great Ocean Road by the Victorian Government, via Regional Development Victoria, designating the Authority as the delivery agency.
March 2023 – Geelong City Deal Newsletter issued by Regional Development Victoria providing an update on the status of the projects located along the Great Ocean Road.
June 2023 - the Authority Board provided approval for the Authority to continue the Point Grey Redevelopment and take on the delivery of Improvements to Tourism Infrastructure at Kennett River and the Apollo Bay Harbour Redevelopment in collaboration with the Department of Jobs, Skills, Industry and Regions (DJSIR).
June 2023 - the Authority established the Project Working Group, comprised of representatives from the Authority, Department of Jobs, Skills, Industry and Regions, Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action, Department of Transport and Planning, Colac Otway Shire Council. Key stakeholders will be engaged with via technical working groups.
July 2023 - a full page update to the community was published in the Colac Herald, the Surf Coast Times and the local Apollo Bay News, in addition to publication on the Authority website.
July 2023 - the Authority engaged an independent consultant, Coastal Planning, to undertake a review of the Apollo Bay Harbour Development Plan 2020 to ensure the desired outcomes of the Plan can be achieved in the current legislative and policy environment.
August 2023 – the Authority provided a project update at the quarterly meeting of the Port of Apollo Bay Consultative Committee.
September 2023 – the Authority released a project update to the Colac Herald, Apollo Bay News and published it on its website.