Surf Coast
Friday, 26 October, 2012
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TOSSERS HEAD FOR BAYFRONT PAGE 2
Getting lucky: Beth Cole, Faye Mullen, Mel Whyte, Bridie Bond and Sanela Osmanovic backed Maluckyday at Wednesday’s Geelong Cup. For a race day report, turn to page three. Picture: John Conway. 89174
$250,000 ‘wasted’ on Bells trial, says foundation
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Buses shun licences SURF Coast’s next councillors should ban tour buses from Bells Beach after their predecessors “wasted over $250,000” on a failed licensing scheme, according to a surfers’ representative. SurfRider Foundation’s Darren Noyes-Brown said only six tour operators bought licences despite Surf Coast Shire offering 30. The trial system’s charge of $2 per passenger would fail to cover the shire’s costs of managing bus traffic at Bells, including creation of parking bays for buses, he said. Councillors voted in April to put a
controversial Bells Beach redevelopment plan on hold to trial the “competitive” system for 12 months. Money from the licences would go toward maintaining the Bells surfing reserve, they agreed. But Mr Noyes-Brown said the trial would fail to provide enough revenue to “look after Bells”. SurfRider Foundation was also opposed to the shire’s redevelopment plan, which would go before the next council for approval. “There’s items such as a second toilet block, sculptures, interpretive signage, increased hard surfaces for viewing areas, increased parking for coaches and formalised hang glider facilities, which
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“We’ve had no communication from Surf Coast Shire but we’d welcome their contact.” Mr Smit said the shire was responsible for keeping informed the tour companies, most of which were based in Melbourne. Go West buses still visited the beach “most days” for about 20 minutes but drivers were yet to see by-laws officers policing the area, he said. “When we’re contacted by the shire and the cost becomes real we’ll determine whether stopping at Bells is of great value to us.” Surf Coast Shire refuses to answer questions from the Independent.
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have no place in the Bells Reserve.” SurfRider members were opposed to additional infrastructure except for “some” rainwater storage tanks, fencing and litter traps, he said. Mr Noyes-Brown defended the foundation against allegations earlier this year that it was anti-tourism, saying it was “not opposed to self-drive tourists, travelling surfers, beach-goers or nature lovers”. Go West Bus Tours managing director Terry Smit said the company had yet to buy a licence because the shire had failed to inform tour operators about its final pricing decision.
s End October 2012
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WHAT’S ON IN FINALLY FRIDAY PAGE 27