Forrest Caves caravan park plan revived

Plans for a new Forrest Caves camping and caravan park are out for public comment – the fifth consecutive year the controversial proposal has been flagged.

A 266-site caravan park development was originally submitted by developers Ken and Janice Rowlingson in 2016, with a 2017 amendment receiving 41 objections.

Objectors at the time said park visitors would impact the sensitive dune environment of Forrest Caves beach, the adjacent beach was unsafe and unpatrolled, the land was subject to flooding, and the proposal would lead to increased traffic on the Phillip Island Road.

Bass Coast Shire councillors in September 2017 unanimously voted to reject the development and the Rowlingsons took the proposal to VCAT, with four hearing delays up to March 2019, when the proposal was for 207-sites.

Now the developers have submitted new plans for council approval for the 1285 Phillip Island Road land, with public comment open until plans go before councillors later in 2021.

To be called Surf Park Phillip Island, the plans propose 177 campsites – including 26 drive-through caravan sites, 37 large campsites and 114 tent sites – as well as a reception building, two amenities blocks, caretaker’s residences, camp kitchen, and recreation room.

Under the plans, the 8ha site will have 17 car parks, as well as parking for vehicles at each campsite, with a left and right turn lane at the entrance to Phillip Island Road.

In 2016, Traffix Group completed a traffic report and once again they have submitted a new report, using traffic studies from 2014 and 2018 to conclude Phillip Island Road has about 16,000 vehicles passing per day.

“It is noted that while council originally refused the application, there were not specific traffic grounds for refusal,” the traffic report notes.

“Department of Transport (formerly VicRoads) also did not object to the proposed redevelopment, subject to the provision of turn lanes at the site access.”

The report concludes “traffic associated with the development will be modest”.

Environment

According to a flora and fauna assessment, the site contains areas of environmental significance and is habitat for the Short-tailed Shearwater and the threatened Hooded Plover.

As such the developers propose a 30-metre habitat protection buffer from the northern edge of the shearwater breeding burrows and a non-climbable conservation fence along the southern boundary stop access to the conservation area.

About 0.17ha of native vegetation at the front of the site and within the road reserve along Phillip Island Road will be removed.

A waste management plan, accompanying the proposal, states the caravan park will “have the potential to impact on the environment”, detailing how it will minimise waste.

History

In 2019 two VCAT chairs agreed to several delays to allow Mr Rowlingson time to clarify and provide more information on the exact number of camping and caravan sites proposed following last-minute changes to park plans.

The then VCAT hearing also heard a number of other issues needed clarification, including the dimensions for a non-climbable fence to ensure no public access to the Forrest Caves sand dunes.

The VCAT chairs also questioned why access to the Forrest Caves car park from the caravan park remained, despite it being in the 30-metre buffer zone from the shearwater breeding zone.

The VCAT hearing heard there were a number of Aboriginal artefacts on the site, which had been reburied.

Objectors to the proposal include the National Trust, Phillip Island Conservation Society and BirdLife Australia, as well as local residents.