(REVISED 2023)
AIDA’s overall aim is to conserve the natural environment and special character of the low-key coastal communities that lie between Eastern View and Urquhart Bluff, and of the adjacent hinterland, as the area develops and changes.
AIDA acknowledges the traditional owners of these lands, the Wadawurrung People of the Kulin nation, and the Gadubanud People of the Eastern Maar nation. We pay our respects to their Elders past, present, and future.
Objective 1: Valuing local character
• generate appreciation of the unique, informal character of the Aireys Inlet district;
• support environmentally sensitive development and infrastructure by contributing to
the formulation and upholding of planning guidelines and policies;
• support conservation and regeneration of the Painkalac Creek valley and its environs,
including the wetlands and timbered hillsides, freehold and public land; and
• support preservation of the night sky through education, advocacy and planning.
Objective 2: Stewardship of the environment
• participate in and support actions to highlight, mitigate and adapt to climate change and its effects;
• support an environmentally and aesthetically sensitive policy for traffic and parking management and road and pathway construction; and
• support appropriate conservation and regeneration of the beaches, dunes and cliff areas.
Objective 3: Strong community
• encourage an appreciation of the region through deeper knowledge, especially of the history and the continuing presence of First Peoples;
• support other groups working to strengthen community wellbeing;
• encourage the creation, protection and maintenance of public open spaces and
appropriate location of public facilities; and
• support effective and environmentally sympathetic fire protection measures for the
district.
Objective 4: Thriving local economy
• support a diverse economy by encouraging local businesses and services, regional produce and creative enterprises;
• promote Aireys Inlet as a destination for nature-based, sustainable and regenerative tourism; and
• seek to influence decisions made by external agencies on the environmental and management impacts of tourism and its marketing.
Objective 5: Advocacy
• raise community awareness of, and canvas the community’s views on, current and emerging issues of significance in the district;
• work with other Great Ocean Road communities to achieve common objectives through engagement with government and other public authorities; and
• initiate and participate in ‘future-proofing’ research, planning and actions undertaken by external agencies and community groups.
AIDA’s PREVIOUS POLICY AND AIMS
AIDA’s overall policy is to encourage and support the planned use of the region between Eastern View and Urquhart Bluff, together with the adjacent hinterland, in a manner that is sympathetic to the environment and conserves as far as possible the special character of the area.
AIDA’s specific aims are:
- to generate and support respect for the unique character of the Aireys Inlet area
- to strongly support environmentally sensitive residential and commercial development by contributing to the formulation and upholding of the guidelines embodied in planning documents such as the Aireys Inlet to Eastern View Strategy and the Neighbourhood Character Overlay of the Surfcoast Planning Scheme
- to support an environmentally and aesthetically sensitive policy for traffic and parking management and road and pathway construction
- to support the conservation of the beaches, dunes and cliff areas in co-operation with the foreshore management authorities
- to support conservation of the Painkalac Creek Valley and its environs, including the wetlands, freehold and public land
- to preserve the timbered hills surrounding the residential settlements by supporting strict control of further urban growth
- to promote Aireys Inlet as a destination for nature-based tourism that offers a variety of walking experiences including our beaches, cliff platforms, wetlands, estuary and river, and bush trails in the National and Forest Parks of the hinterland
- to encourage the appropriate location of public facilities and recreational amenities
- to support environmentally sympathetic fire protection measures for the district
- to support the control of feral and domestic animals and noxious and environmental weeds
- to support planning controls that preserve the visibility of the night sky by limiting artificial lighting on building exteriors
In addition to promoting the foregoing aims, AIDA is engaged in the following related activities:
- raising community awareness of, and canvassing the community’s views on, issues of significance in the district
- supporting environmental, sociological and other studies and surveys performed by the Surf Coast Shire or other bodies
- preparing or supporting publications aimed at promoting a better awareness of the Aireys Inlet district and its history, beauty and challenges for the future.
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