source : the age
A contentious plan to charge tourists to visit the Twelve Apostles has raised hopes of much-needed infrastructure upgrades in the area, with the proposal attracting support and some criticism from locals.
The state government has not yet determined how much it will cost to see the natural formations, but one tourism expert suggested charging international visitors about $20 per adult was consistent with similar attractions in Australia and overseas.
Consultation with residents, local councils and tourism industry groups about the charge are expected to begin soon, with the government ruling out charging people who live near the site as well as the area’s traditional owners, the Eastern Maar community.
A new $126 million Twelve Apostles visitor centre, expected to open later this year, is set to have an entry fee and booking system likely to be introduced later this year or in early 2027.
Victorian Tourism Industry Council chief executive Lisa Petroni expected the cost would be levied per person rather than just for parking, and welcomed the proposal.
“It makes sense. It’s the right thing to do,” she said. “We are one of the only states that doesn’t charge national park entry fees.”
Industry figures were reluctant to estimate exactly how much visitors might have to pay, but some suggested entry would be less than Uluru, which is $38 per adult for three days, and free for people under 18.
Monash University Business School associate professor Glen Croy said charging international visitors $20 to access the Twelve Apostles was reasonable, but Victorians should pay a cheaper price. He said it was necessary to charge for accessing the site.
“When humans interact with natural areas, there are impacts, and they are not cost neutral,” he said.
Croy said a $20 entry fee was broadly similar to other natural attractions.
In the United States, it is free to enter the Niagara Falls State Park, but visitors are charged for parking, with fees ranging from $US10 ($14.33) to $US15 ($21.50) per day. Campervans and tour buses attract higher charges.
Last year, Corangamite Shire chief executive David Rae suggested something like $10 or $20 might be reasonable as a visitor charge to the Twelve Apostles, although he declined to offer an exact figure at the time.
Tourism Minister Steve Dimopoulos said the government had not decided on the user charge but insisted it would be “fair and reasonable.”
“For years, locals, along the Great Ocean Road have been calling for the millions of visitors that go through that beautiful part of Victoria to make a contribution.”
With the Great Ocean Road attracting 8 million visitors annually, Dimopoulos said funding was required to maintain steps to the beaches, toilets, lifesaving club upgrades, car parking and caravan parks.
“We cannot be the generation that lets it fall away,” he said.
In Victoria, tour operators already pay an annual fee of $349 for a standard one-year licence. They also pay a user fee of $2.40 per adult and $1.60 for children under 16 and school students. The user fees are capped at $17,125.
Lisa Petroni said she hoped the income would be used to create better facilities and encourage visitors to stay longer in the region, benefiting local businesses. Presently, many international visitors arrive at the Twelve Apostles by tour bus and return to Melbourne the same day.
Great Ocean Road Tourism general manager Liz Price said the money raised should go towards better maintenance of the Twelve Apostles Marine National Park, enhancing visitors’ experience and better publicising other attractions within the park and region.
Nearby tourist attraction Gibson Steps has recently reopened after access was closed due to safety hazards. However, Loch Ard Gorge steps are closed with local authorities citing geological instability.
“If we want people to go beyond the Twelve Apostles, they [the attractions] need significant investment,” she said.
“We are already paying for everyone to use that site through our taxes,” Port Campbell resident Sue Younis said. “It isn’t free of charge.”
But she said there was some benefit in international visitors contributing financially to visiting.
Port Campbell Community Group secretary Marion Manifold argued against a user-pays system, saying the government should encourage tourists to visit other attractions, including nearby coastal sites and the Grampians.
“We’re concerned about turning the Twelve Apostles into a cash cow,” she said.
Dimopoulos said the government would add 814 car parks at the visitor centre which currently has 160 spaces. The government is also planning to introduce a booking system to visit the Twelve Apostles to even out visitation during the day.
“This allows us to have a more staged process.”
Corangamite Shire Mayor Kate Makin welcomed the plan to charge visitors.
“We think it needed to be done for quite some time,” she said.
However, Makin said some of the revenue should go to the council, which maintains some public toilets and local roads in the area.
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Benjamin Preiss is The Age’s regional editor. He was previously state rounds reporter and has also covered education for The Age.Connect via X or email.
