TOWER Hill could have a different entrance and offer an outdoor pavilion, a northern pedestrian connection to Koroit and even low-impact accommodation, a visionary new plan shows.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The state government has released its draft Tower Hill Activation and Linkages Plan, showing projects that some of the $11.3 million earmarked for the reserve could kick-start.
A nature play space, a crater rim amphitheater, upgrades to the Robin Boyd Visitor Centre, and a crater rim trail could also be part of the site's future.
The plan states it relied on input from more than 250 people, including extensive consultation with Eastern Maar.
Koroit and District Progress Association president Sam Rudolph said he supported the vision but wanted priorities addressed first.
"I would like it to get a bit more back to the basics," Mr Rudolph said of the draft. "What really needs to happen is track management, amenities, a little bit of infrastructure, and weed management."
There are no costings or time frames for the visionary projects, which Mr Rudolph said would clearly need further investment.
The plan recommends "operational changes and further maintenance regimes" to improve upkeep, including a "caring for country site management program" with Eastern Maar, a wildlife protection and monitoring program partnering with universities, and an asset maintenance fund.
But it also seeks to tap into the "significant growth" of nature-based tourism, with visitors to the reserve reaching 295,000 last year, 65 per cent of them from Victoria.
Changes could include realigning the reserve's entrance away from the Princes Highway to where the Lake View Road exit is now.
Low-impact accommodation such as "eco-lodges" could be on land near the Cairn Lookout, with dining, a function space and a wellness centre also a potential.
A natural event amphitheater could exist along the crater rim, using a former quarry area.
The plan also proposes nature play facilities near the current barbecue area.
Nearby, an outdoor pavilion could seat 100 people, alongside improved car parking.
Mr Rudolph said some of the proposals were "great in terms of economic development" but needed further consultation.
"People are going to go there for the natural beauty," he said. "It's a nature playground as it is."
Visitors at the park earlier this year told The Standard they wanted upgrades to have a "light touch" including vegetation maintenance and improved toilets.
The site, formed by a volcano that last erupted 36,000 years ago and a place of cultural significance to traditional owners, became Victoria's first national park in 1892 and later became a state game reserve.
The draft master plan is on Engage Victoria's website. Parks Victoria will host an online community information session on Thursday 17 September, 5.30pm to 7.00pm.
Have you signed up to The Standard's daily newsletter and breaking news emails? You can register below and make sure you are up to date with everything that's happening in the south-west.
Jackson Graham
Jackson is a reporter for The Standard.
Jackson is a reporter for The Standard.
