Fishermans Beach car park upgrades: What We Heard Report
Published on 08 September 2023
Car park upgrades at Fishermans Beach are one step closer following a second round of community consultation in May 2023.
Safety upgrades were identified as a priority for the area in 2020 via a draft Masterplan. Suggested scope for improvements included reconfiguring and optimising safety and efficiency of the car park layout.
Across two community engagement periods - in September 2022, and May 2023 - designs for the Fishos upgrades were presented, discussed, reassessed and finalised, thanks to input from the local community, user groups and other project stakeholders.
In May 2023, we received 102 online survey contributions from 69 people, and over 1000 people visited the Have Your Say page. Over 80% of survey participants were Torquay or Jan Juc residents. We also held a stakeholder workshop, an online information session, with 58% of survey respondents reporting they liked or loved the design, 25% reporting neutral sentiment and 17% not liking the design.
Your feedback helped us understand local perspectives and expectations and gave us valuable insights into how the community uses Fishermans Beach car park, boating facility and beach access area that adjoins the Torquay Marine Rescue Service and Salty Dog Café in Torquay.
In summary, the feedback highlighted the following themes:
• Clearer signage and information needed about Fishermans Beach being home to the Torquay Boat Ramp.
• Separation of two car parks was supported by the community, mostly for safety reasons.
• Preference for angled long-bay parking in southern car park (concept design Option 1), but nose in, not reverse in. Additional comments about drive-thru parking.
• Boat preparation area needs to be provided in the car park area, and safety for the ramp and beach launch area needs further thought.
• Desire to find the right balance for parking bays in the southern car park to cater for regular cars vs. boat trailers during boating season. Flexible use during winter and on non-boating days is important. Suggestions for improved signage.