A major purpose of AIDA is raising community awareness of, and canvassing the community’s views on, issues of significance in the district. In addition AIDA supports environmental, sociological and other studies and surveys performed by the Surf Coast Shire or other bodies such as the Great Ocean Road Coast Committee (GORCC).
Over the nearly fifty years of AIDA’s existence, the community has displayed remarkable constancy of opinion on the importance of preservation of our natural environment and the desirability of retaining and conserving the special rural-coastal character of our settlements and their environs.
In response to this robust and consistent community feedback the Surf Coast Shire has developed planning tools such as local provisions and neighbourhood character overlays, which in conjunction with current zoning regulations has largely protected the existing low key character of our residential communities and two small commercial zones, and preserved views of the pristine environment, which is of great tourism and heritage value.
The 2015 questionnaire is the latest in a series of surveys undertaken by AIDA since 1983, far-sightedly planned to include many of the same questions, so that a perspective on individual opinions over time might be obtained, and it has provided invaluable information on the values and views of our members and also the broader community. This 30 year history has permitted the development of a longitudinal analysis of local opinions, part of which is illustrated below. For this year’s results click AIDA 2015 Questionnaire Full Results 20-2-2015 and for the history of local opinions click AIDA Questionnaires – Current Views & Longitudinal Attitudes“.