Community
13 August, 2025
Port project unveiled
THE Port Campbell Town Centre Revitalisation Project was officially unveiled last Friday amidst a crowd of mixed reviews.
Corangamite Shire mayor councillor Kate Makin made an opening speech thanking all involved in the development of the project, but not everyone in the audience was on board.
“To the businesses and community members who have spent countless hours volunteering, to provide ideas, advice and feedback throughout the project, who are all prepared to stand their ground and speak up at even the most challenging times, I welcome and sincerely thank you,” she said.
“Thank you to the people and the businesses of Port Campbell for your patience and endurance during construction.
“Like many major projects we have had to navigate unexpected challenges, but through it all, everyone has remained committed to delivering a town centre that we hope our community can be proud of.
“Thank you to everyone who contributed your ideas, concerns and hopes through the community consultation.
“I’d like to thank the community and business reference group, both for the planning and construction stages, for their honest, fearless and constructive feedback throughout the journey.”
Cr Makin was interrupted by an interjection from the audience – “You didn’t bloody listen to them!” – however the opening ceremony continued peacefully.
Cr Makin said the finished project was a real benefit to the Port Campbell township.
“I think the completed project will bring more tourists to the area, knowing how great this area is already, but it’s just a gem in the crown of the Great Ocean Road,” she said.
“It’s just being able to have the tourists come here and really appreciate the foreshore and what we have to offer.
“It’s now more accessible to everyone in the region to get down to the foreshore and actually put their feet in the water.
“I think this will be a huge benefit for the whole community – not just Port Campbell but the whole region and the whole of Corangamite Shire.”
Not everyone agreed, as local Sharon Cotton pointed out the lack of Port Campbell residents in the crowd.
“The presence of 14 locals is representative of how the town has felt about this project,” she said.
As Western District Newspapers has previously reported, there has been contention in Port Campbell over the streetscape works, namely about the stone planter boxes along Lord Street which have sustained significant damage and the decking built amongst the norfolk pines near the foreshore which some argued disrupted views of the bay.
Cooriemungle Ward councillor Jamie Vogels said he understood not everyone was happy with the project, but as a key tourist destination, Port Campbell’s local economy would benefit from the upgrade.
“We’ve always had tourists coming in – whether you like it or not, they’re going to come, in increasing and increasing numbers,” he said.
“You have to deal with the people that are coming.
“Then you might as well give them a good experience so that they’ll stay and they’ll spend money.
“It’s good for the local people and good for the local economy, especially business.
“There has been a lot of angst over a lot of the works and I fully acknowledge that not everyone’s happy with everything that’s happened, but this is what it is and it’s not going to change, so how do we work with it to utilise it best and make sure that we keep an eye on it over the coming years to make changes for pieces that aren’t fit for purpose.”
Federal Member for Wannon Dan Tehan said Port Campbell was an impassioned community with a spirit he loved to see.
“What this project will showcase is what a wonderful and beautiful spot Port Campbell is,” he said.
“It demonstrates what a wonderful community it is.
“I’m sure that it will evolve over time but I just say to the community – keep being who and what you are because you’re unique and that’s what everyone loves about you.”
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