Bike path success leads to calls for more car parking in Goroke Street

A DECISION by Bass Coast Shire Council to proceed with a two-way traffic solution for Surf Parade featuring a shared pathway has triggered an urgent review into how the area will cope with an impending parking crisis.

The decision on Surf Parade came amid fierce advocacy from local community groups, residents and members of the Inverloch Surf Life Saving Club with stakeholders arguing that preserving the 60 existing carpark spaces along Surf Parade was critical.

These spaces serve as a lifeline for beachgoers during the high-stakes spring, summer, and Easter tourism periods. Compounding the pressure on carparking is the recent opening of the highly anticipated bike path between Inverloch and Wonthaggi.

While celebrated as a massive win for regional tourism, the infrastructure is expected to dramatically increase vehicle traffic and parking demand. Visitors transporting bikes by car need a place to park before hitting the trail.

Inverloch Tourist Association (ITA) President Glenn Morris highlighted the looming bottleneck. He noted that the joint bike path is rapidly becoming a major regional attraction. Consequently, the existing Inverloch Surf Life Saving Club carpark and public toilets are turning into the primary staging and stopping-off point for cyclists.

"If 60 carparks are taken away from Surf Parade, it will create severe parking problems," Mr Morris warned. "The reality is that the new bike path will actively generate more demand for car parking, not less. We need to accommodate both groups to keep the town moving."

Local business operators are already feeling the squeeze.

Shane Hogan owner of the Offshore Surf School relies heavily on the Surf Parade precinct to run his business, regularly utilising the available carparking spaces near the lifesaving club to conduct surfing lessons.

Mr Hogan has seen a noticeable surge in vehicle congestion since the new bike path opened to the public. He fears that eliminating any existing spaces will paralyse the beachfront during peak periods.

"The existing carpark is going to get incredibly congested," Mr Hogan said. "On any busy weekend, we already see a situation where there are absolutely no parking spaces left in the main carpark or along Surf Parade. Taking away spots now would be devastating for accessibility."

Rather than simply opposing changes proposed by council the Inverloch Tourist Association has taken a proactive approach. The association has developed an alternative concept plan demonstrating that a win-win scenario is possible.

Their proposal successfully retains two-way traffic on Surf Parade, preserves the existing roadside carparks, and safely integrates the new shared pathway. To handle the expected overflow from the Wonthaggi to Inverloch bike trail, the ITA is also looking at nearby streets to expand the town's parking capacity.

"There are clear opportunities for extra car parking bays in Goroke Street," Mr Morris explained. "We want to retain the existing 60 car parking spaces on Surf Parade and simultaneously provide extra spaces for bike users. Goroke Street is already used informally for car parking, so it makes sense to formalise it."

Mr Morris, alongside local representative Jim Higgs, has drawn up a detailed concept plan to maximise the area's footprint. Their draft outlines the creation of 17 formal car parking spaces on Goroke Street, specifically utilising the stretch between Surf Parade and Lohr Avenue. Furthermore, the community advocates have identified space for an additional 30 car parking spaces further up the road to absorb peak holiday crowds.

Community leaders welcomed the bike path as a triumph for the Bass Coast region.

"It is a fabulous initiative," Mr Morris said. "It’s great for fitness, great for families, and the lifesaving club is the logical starting and finishing point for riders. But we need the infrastructure to back it up."

The ITA is now urgently seeking clarity from Bass Coast Shire Council on how these additional parking spaces will be funded and constructed. All eyes are now on the council's engineering and financial teams as they race to complete the feasibility study before the late-September deadline, just ahead of the peak spring influx.