A masterplan to find solutions to the growing congestion in Smiths Beach was last year released by Bass Coast Shire.
In this second week of a new series – which explores planning: our future – we look at traffic and parking.
Phillip Island – and to a lesser extent San Remo – are natural bottlenecks and with the resident and tourist population growing annually, pinch points are quickly seen in congestion on roads and towns. Here we explore the pressures and possible solutions.
A masterplan to find solutions to the growing congestion in Smiths Beach was last year released by Bass Coast Shire.
Smiths Beach Association president Phil Dressing said the plan was needed to address the impact of the growing number of visitors to the hamlet. “If there are more people coming to the island, including to Smiths Beach, how will we manage them in terms of infrastructure and the environment?” he said.
In creating the plan, the shire commissioned a car parking and traffic assessment in January last year.
Based on a 28C Saturday, Smiths Beach car park was at 100 per cent capacity by 11am (and anecdotally 100 per cent full by 9am), with the majority of cars parked for more than four hours. YCW Beach car park was 80 per cent full by 11am and remained so for most of the day, while parking also spilt into neighbouring streets including Marlin Street, Barramundi Avenue, and Hollywood Crescent.
The community panel – formed to give input into the plan – agreed traffic was a problem, describing it as “crazy” in summer, and suggesting such solutions as restrictions, parking fees, park and drive, clearways, patrols and offering more patrolled beaches around Phillip Island.
Planning: traffic and parking
It’s a simple formula: more residents and more tourists means more cars, more congestion and more parking problems.
Here are a few other examples of where traffic is reaching a tipping point.
