Second rate outcome for Surf Parade

VISITORS returning to Inverloch have expressed dismay at plans to reduce Surf Parade to a one-way street to allow for the construction of the final section of the pathway from Ozone Street to the Inverloch Surf Life Saving Club.

Former Surf Parade resident Rob Parsons said while Western Port Ward councillors had acknowledged his concerns, only Cr Meg Edwards had the courage to speak up.

“Surf Parade is one of Inverloch’s most important coastal roads. A short-term compromise that leaves the community with a second-rate outcome for the final section of the pathway would be a regrettable legacy,” said Mr Parsons.

Driving to Inverloch specifically to look at the erosion near the Surf Life Saving Club and then to revisit the section of Surf Parade under discussion, Mr Parsons took the opportunity to drive past his former home.

“What struck me immediately while driving along Surf Parade was just how well the completed sections of the shared pathway work. The combination of the roadway, vegetation and shared path between Veronica Street and Ozone Street is both attractive and functional. It clearly demonstrates that the original design solution works.”

Mr Parsons said it made little sense that for the final section of the Surf Life Saving Club, the council is now considering narrowing the road and introducing one-way traffic because of DEECA’s refusal to allow for the removal of a small amount of vegetation.

“From what I could see, completing the pathway properly would require clearing only a very small amount of scrub. In return, the community would gain a consistent, well-designed roadway and pathway all the way to the Surf Life Saving Club,” said Mr Parsons.

According to Mr Parsons, narrowing the roadway and forcing traffic to circulate through surrounding streets would create inconvenience for locals and visitors alike.

“It is difficult to see how making Surf Parade one-way would serve the interests of residents whose homes front the road. Quite frankly, if Bass Coast Council is not prepared to stand up to DEECA on a matter as straightforward as this in order to complete the project properly, then something has gone seriously wrong in the decision-making process.”

Mr Parsons said it was difficult to understand why some councillors who previously supported the community’s preferred design for Surf Parade now appear willing to accept a lesser outcome.

“Many people in the Inverloch community care deeply about this issue,” he said.

“Residents are entitled to ask why positions have changed. Councillors should reflect carefully on whether leaving Surf Parade with a compromised, one-way solution is really the legacy they wish to leave. The community deserves the same design solution for the final section of Surf Parade that has already proven successful along the rest of the road.”

Mr Parsons urged councillors to reconsider the one-way proposal and continue advocating for the completion of the shared pathway while retaining two-way traffic to the Surf Life Saving Club.

“Councillors should be encouraged to drive the length of Surf Parade themselves and ask whether the final section should be treated differently from the successful design already completed. Years from now, people will still be driving along Surf Parade. They will either see a well-designed coastal road and pathway, or they will see a compromise created because the council refused to challenge an unreasonable decision.”