Consultants to draw up future for Bells

Alex de Vos
Surf Coast Shire plans to spend thousands of dollars on hiring a consultant to draw up a plan to tackle litterbugs and a “significant” increase in tourists at Bells Beach.
Bells Beach Surfing Reserve Committee member John Foss said the plan was also “geared toward” improving the area’s walking trails, storm-water drainage and vegetation.
“There’s a whole range of issues that need to be investigated,” Mr Foss said.
“This is a great opportunity to look at the entire Bells Beach Reserve and come up with ways to improve it.”
Mr Foss said the shire’s 2004 Bells Beach to Winki Pop master plan was “out-of-date, fairly restricted and failed to address all the issues”.
“Litter is a huge issue at Bells and so is the increase in tourists, buses and foot traffic,” he said.
Mr Foss refused to suggest potential solutions to help weed out litterbugs and improve facilities and access to the beach.
“That’s up to the consultants,” he said.
In an Independent report in 2004, Surfing Victoria and Rip Curl slammed the shire’s initial master plan.
The state’s leading surfing bodies feared the plan would threaten the world’s longest-running surfing competition, the Rip Curl Pro.
But this week Mr Foss ruled out restricting access to Bells Beach for professional and recreational surfers.
“That’s definitely not going to happen under the new plan,” he said.
Earlier this month Surf Coast Shire called for tenders to provide “consultancy services to develop an integrated environmental master plan and management plan that recognises the social, cultural, environmental and economic values for the reserve”.
A shire spokesperson told the Independent the plan would “consider the needs of all who use the reserve, the area’s environment and heritage requirement”.
“Consultants often work with local government to develop plans because of the expertise and resources they can provide,” the spokesperson said.
Tenders close on May 26.