By NOEL MURPHY
OPENING Spring Creek to developers could threaten iconic Bells Beach, activists have warned.
Surfing legend Maurice Cole told other Bells Beach Preservation Society members that Bells needed “protection” from Surf Coast Shire and State Government.
“Spring Creek is the gateway to Bells … we need more than ever to protect Bells with a legislated surf sanctuary,” he said.
Mr Cole cited last week’s Government decision allowing Spring Creek residential development in his pitch for signatories to an online petition seeking enhanced protection of Bells.
How the opening of some 240 hectares of land along Spring Creek to development will affect population forecasts for Torquay-Jan Juc is unclear.
Current forecasts for the Torquay alone tip a population jumping from 10,994 in 2011 to 14,272 in 2016, 17,938 in 2021 and 21,984 in 2026. That’s not counting Jan Juc, which had a population of 3505 in 2011.
Mr Cole expected the decision to bring up to 8000 new residents to the area.
The shire had forecast Torquay-Jan Juc’s population to reach 22,000 in 12 years without including Spring Creek.
“We’ve got all the people moving into Armstrong Creek as well,” Mr Cole said.
“They’ll use Southside and Bells … There’ll be no room, where will they even park?”
Surfrider Foundation’s local branch backed Mr Cole.
The foundation urged surfers to have their say as a Bells Beach Visioning Taskforce, with former deputy premier John Thwaites as chair, sought public opinion on the surfing reserve’s future.
“We ask that all surfers go and comment/vote on BBPS’s idea so as we can get the Surf Coast Shire and John Thwaites to understand and respect that the global surfing culture recognises Bells as the world’s first surfing reserve and that it is disrespectful … to try and develop Bells as a cheap tourist destination,” the foundation said.
