By NOEL MURPHY
A BITTER slanging match has erupted over claims the Liberals would dynamite the Great Ocean Road and Labor’s efforts to secure World Heritage status for the tourism icon.
Corangamite Labor MP’s Darren Cheeseman dynamite claims last week triggered an angry response from his Liberal challenger for the tightly-held federal seat, Sarah Henderson.
She savaged Mr Cheeseman as “not fit for office” for saying the Liberals would dynamite the road to fix landslips.
The claims were “false and irresponsible”, Ms Henderson said.
She also attacked his campaign to win World Heritage status for the road, which was “unlikely” to meet any of the necessary criteria.
Ms Henderson said the heritage push could lock up Great Ocean Road businesses and tourism in red tape for years, prevent a critical upgrade and undermine investment.
She rejected Mr Cheeseman’s campaign as unfeasible.
“Mr Cheeseman has not done his homework in his push for World Heritage listing of the road. There is currently no World Heritage listed operational road in the world,” Ms Henderson said.
“While places of outstanding natural beauty such as the Limestone Coast and the 12 Apostles might be eligible and deserve proper consideration, it’s unlikely the Great Ocean Road itself would meet any of the criteria.
“That’s because the road retains very little of the original physical appearance, or built fabric, one of the criteria.
“World Heritage listing of this iconic tourist attraction may, in fact, lock up the road in years of red tape and prevent a comprehensive upgrade.”
Ms Henderson said the proposed $50 million upgrade was critical for jobs, tourism and road safety.
The project would involve road surface maintenance and resurfacing, improvements to roadside cutting, pavement rehabilitation and drainage works.
Mr Cheeseman rejected Ms Henderson’s attacks.
“I stand by my assertion that the Liberal party plans to dynamite the Great Ocean Road to reshape the cliffs,” he said.
“They talk about stopping rock falls and making the road safer – the only way to do this is to reshape iconic curves, widen the road in sections, dynamite away cliffs and spray concrete cliff faces to stop rock falls.”
Mr Cheeseman said the Liberals had plans to turn the road “into a major freight route for the south-west”.
He believed the road had a “very strong case for World Heritage listing” because of its indigenous history, status as the world’s longest war memorial, its Otway mountain ash, more than 800 shipwrecks and the world’s surfing competition at Bells Beach.
