The state government and Break O' Day Council have clashed over claims the government refused to fund a Master Plan to help solve critical infrastructure issues at the wildly popular Bay of Fires.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Break O' Day Mayor Mick Tucker said the lack of parking, public toilets, and rubbish bins has long plagued the Bay of Fires, but they have worsened as the area has become one of the state's top tourist destinations.
He said the Master Plan for the area would have addressed the issues, but he now claims that the government has abandoned it.
"The state government has walked away from the Bay of Fires Master Plan ... they have refused to stump up their side of the bargain," Cr Tucker said.
He noted that most of the area was either Crown Land or belonged to Parks and Wildlife, and suggested that the state government should provide most of the funding.
Under the proposed Master Plan, parking solutions, the use of the area's camping grounds, toilets, rubbish, and other infrastructure problems in the region would have been investigated, and solutions identified.
The state government initially agreed to contribute half the $100,000 cost of the plan via Parks and Wildlife Service, with Break O' Day Council contributing the other $50,000.
However, after a council committee spent 15 months working on terms of reference for the plan, they discovered that the cost of appointing a consultant to run it exceeded the $100,000 allotted.
When the council requested that the state government make up the difference with an additional $50,000, the request was refused, they claimed.
"It beggars' belief that an area where tourists are flocking to on mass has no agreed plan on how this will be managed into the future," Cr Tucker said.
"In the absence of the state government playing its role in protecting and supporting the Binalong Bay and Bay of Fires area, there is little more we can do for now."
A Parks and Wildlife Service spokesperson said the department was committed to further engagement with the Break O' Day Council to support the management of the Bay of Fires.
"Council advised the Tasmanian Government that additional funds were required to progress the plan. PWS and the Council will need to review the project's future options given the funding shortfall," the spokesperson said.
Cr Tucker said it was better to address the region's infrastructure issues sooner rather than later.
"We keep looking at what's happened to Coles Bay. Do we have to wait until it gets that bad and then spend money, or do we spend money wisely and try to prepare ourselves?
"Visitation to the Bay of Fires is not going to get less; it's going to get more.
"So why aren't we thinking now? What can we do to create extra car parking? Consider what other infrastructure is needed to calm the traffic and prevent accidents."
Grace Keith, chief executive officer of East Coast Tourism, said the two new Spirit of Tasmania vessels would likely increase visitation to the East Coast.
She said both vessels had 40 per cent more passenger capacity than the existing boats, meaning more campers and day-trippers were likely to visit.
Residents in Binalong Bay say traffic in the peak summer months moves along roads clogged with parked vehicles.
Area resident and former Chamber of Commerce president Peter Paulsen said the roads near the beaches resembled "slow-moving car parks". At the same time, the dearth of any public toilets and rubbish bins was also a significant problem.
"If you live by the beach, you always have to remember to bring your rubbish bin in off the street as soon as it's collected. Otherwise, it will be full again in a couple of hours," he said.
Cr Tucker said the safety of locals and visitors was becoming a concern.
"I've had people come and tell me that they nearly killed a young fellow who ran out from between the parked cars," he said.
"People say, 'Well, it hasn't happened yet' - I don't want it to happen to someone's family; I don't want it to happen to someone who's the driver."
Mr Paulsen also levelled criticism at the Parks and Wildlife Service, saying it had rejected any calls to expand parking on its land and had resisted calls to begin charging campers at the Bay of Fires sites.
A PWS spokesperson said: "PWS is currently undertaking an audit of visitor experiences and charges at campgrounds across the state to develop a more consistent visitor experience and fee structure."
"Regarding parking, PWS has not received any recent proposals for car parking in the area."
