Surfers Appreciating the Natural Environment believe that important parts of the Surfcoast Shires newly drafted Bells Beach Surfing Management plan is seriously flawed and does not stand up to scrutiny or best practice when it comes to managing the tourist impact on this beautiful and much loved area. It is the part that aims to construct a
new sizeable overflow carpark at Bells to cater for the increased tourist traffic buses, car/caravans and general daytrippers. Unfortunately this new "stand alone" car park has the potential to turn many of the benefits the management plan delivers into traps that has plagued us since the Stone Age, by simply
increasing the supply of parking spaces to tourist visitors rather than having a more sustainable plan to
reduce demand. From all reports, transport planning experts agree, that increasing parking availabilty in small defined areas such as Bells tend to distort the market in favour of increased visitor presence and generally exacerbates congestion in the long term rather than reduce it. The current proposal is like "fighting obesity by letting out your belt" and inducing demand that did not exist before.
SANE believes this new proposed car park will create, rather than reduce congestion problems at Bells and hence bring more damage, more rubbish, more frustration and more resentment as surfers see their reserve transfomed into a tourist park. SANE respectfully suggests to the Surf Coast Shire that instead of building the new carpark they revisit the idea the Bells Beach Steering Committee once had of setting up a bus licencing/quota system that allows for more sustainable visiting to Bells . This process could allow a maximum number of buses to visit the reserve on any given day (6 perhaps) and regulate their visiting to certain times of the day and to certain points (extra buses could go to locations such as The White Wave and Southside if needed; where car towing caravans and huge Winabagos could also be redirected - a little walk never hurt anyone). This seems like a more pratical response because not only does it send the message that unregulated numbers of visiting buses (and camper/trailers) will no longer be tolerated at Bells, it also sends the message that surfers still have priority visiting rights at the reserve. A reserve that was originally founded by surfers, continually cared for by surfers and will also remain under the attentive stewardship of surfers.
Thankfully, the new Bells Masterplan is open for discussion and SANE encourages everyone interested in a long term vision for Bells to sign this petion before its too late.
Now is our best chance to get the future of Bells right.
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Surfers Appreciating the Natural Environment believe the new Bells Beach Surfing Masterplan is seriously flawed and does not stand up to scrutiny or best practice when it comes to managing the tourist impact on this beautiful and much loved area. It is the plan to construct a new sizeable overflow carpark at Bells to cater for the increased tourist traffic buses, car/caravans and general daytrippers. Unfortunately this new "stand alone" car park has the potential to turn many of the benefits the master plan delivers into traps that has plagued us since the Stone Age, by simply
increasing the supply of parking spaces to tourist visitors rather than having a more sustainable plan to
reduce demand. From all reports, transport planning experts agree, that increasing parking availabilty in small defined areas such as Bells tend to distort the market in favour of increased visitor presence and generally exacerbates congestion in the long term rather than reduce it. The current proposal is like "fighting obesity by letting out your belt" and inducing demand that did not exist before. Help stop the building of this car park by signing the petition.
