Community
18 September, 2024
Working bee at Port' reserve
RANGERS from the Great Ocean Road Coast and Parks Authority have rolled up their sleeves to restore the Port Campbell Recreation Reserve following recent wild weather.
A planned three-day working bee, originally aimed at readying the reserves for the upcoming school holidays, expanded into a larger operation as damaging storms battered the coast last week.
Communities along the Great Ocean Road were impacted by strong winds, with fallen trees and debris impacting roads and public spaces, while storm surges have caused erosion along the coast.
Ten rangers from the authority’s coastal reserve and conservation teams tackled the clean-up at the Port Campbell Reserve, which involved removing woody weed vegetation, filling potholes, building a new storage shed and other general maintenance tasks.
Coastal reserves manager Caleb Hurrell said the damaging winds and storms have been challenging.
“We’re incredibly grateful to the emergency services and their volunteers for their tremendous work in restoring services along the coast,” he said.
“These reserves are the heartbeat of local communities, especially in summer, so we’ve worked to get them in top shape ahead of the holiday season.
“We’re also thankful to the volunteer committees for their dedication and expertise in maintaining these facilities and the support they have provided to our teams.”
In Princetown, rising water levels from the Gellibrand River caused some areas of the Recreation Reserve to flood, leading to its temporary closure.
Teams will return to complete works once access is restored.
Both the Princetown and Port Campbell Reserves are now open for summer holiday bookings.
With a mix of powered and unpowered camp sites in natural settings, the reserves provide a great base for visitors to enjoy the Twelve Apostles precinct and Port Campbell National Park.
The family-friendly campgrounds offer basic amenities, barbecues, a camp kitchen, and children’s play area, with dogs allowed all year round.
The Port Campbell National Park is among the 700 parcels of land and sea that are being progressively transferred to the authority by November 1, 2025.