This project takes place on both Wadawurrung Country and Eastern Maar Country.

Our coast is dynamic and ever-changing with natural processes such as erosion, storm tide inundation, and cliff failure shaping the coastline we see today.

To help us strengthen resilience of the coast now and into the future, we’re developing a Regional Coastal Adaptation Plan (RCAP) to manage coastal hazard risks across the region, from Torquay to Warrnambool.

We're in the early stages of planning and eager for locals and visitors to have their say. While there are many steps involved in coastal hazard adaptation, exploring and understanding community knowledge and values of our coastline are at the heart of the process.

Explore this page to find out more and to have your say. You can also read our media release here.

Please note: this project builds upon both existing site based coastal adaption plans at locations such as Point Grey, Mother’s Beach and Point Impossible, and recent community engagement activities along the coast.

The Great Ocean Road Coast and Parks Authority (the Authority) was established on 1 December 2020 to deliver better protection and management of the iconic coast and parks of Victoria’s Great Ocean Road.

In partnership with the Traditional Owners, our role is to manage, protect and foster resilience of the natural, cultural and heritage values of coastal Crown land and marine waters along the Great Ocean Road.

This video talks to our journey so far.

To provide long-term and strategic guidance to inform coastal hazard resilience and adaptation planning for the region, the Authority, and its partner agencies, is delivering a Regional Coastal Adaptation Plan (RCAP) as part of a wider program called ‘Resilient Coast’.

The RCAP is a large-scale and broad-brush approach to coastal adaptation planning and applies to the Great Ocean Road Coast and Parks between Torquay in the east to Warrnambool in the west.

This key piece of work is guided by the Victorian Government’s Victoria’s Resilient Coast – Adapting for 2100+ framework (VRC).

The VRC is a seven-staged process as shown below that enables place-based, best practice and long-term coastal hazard risk management and adaptation, builds on the directions in the Marine and Coastal Policy 2020 and ensures a collaborative process is adopted when developing and implementing each stage.

Currently we are at Stage 2.

For generations, local voices have shaped the Great Ocean Road’s future, and today, they continue to guide us. Over the past four years, as we’ve responded to the initiatives outlined in the Great Ocean Road Action Plan, we’ve made it a hallmark of our approach to engage with and listen to our communities.

In 2024 alone, we’ve chalked up over 1,300 days of community engagement, with 90 face-to-face sessions, 36 online sessions, and gathered nearly 3,000 survey responses. This project builds upon what the community has already told us and looks to deepen our understanding around how we will adapt with an ever-changing coast.

The planning and management of coastal hazards is ultimately the shared responsibility of a large number of Rights Holders and stakeholders, including Traditional Owners, land managers, state agencies, local government, land and asset owners, and the broader community.

To achieve and sustain the desired long-term outcome of shared responsibility and accountability (as shown in the diagram below), a collaborative engagement process is tailored to support adaptation planning at every stage.

While there are many steps involved in coastal hazard adaptation, exploring and understanding community knowledge and values of our coastline are at the heart of the process. At Stage 2 local knowledge will provide a foundation for confirming coastal values and objectives, coastal processes, and tailoring adaptation options.

Diagram below: Desired outcomes of community engagement in regards to coastal adaptation planning.