'Hands off': Twelve Apostles land owner sends blunt message to government

Frustrated with the government's push to compulsorily acquire his land, Richard Nesseler on Australia Day ploughed the words "HANDS OFF" in his paddock which overlooks the Great Ocean Road's famous view.

"I've been quite an artist. I'm pretty proud of my lettering skills out there," he said.

"It's actually really difficult."

The family has been locked in a battle with the government over its land grab of 32 hectares of farmland for a major redevelopment of the Twelve Apostles visitor centre.

But it's not just the loss of land the family is concerned about. Mr Nesseler fears it could ground his neighbouring helicopter business which took a major hit during the pandemic and is yet to fully recover.

"They're very arrogant about what they want to do. It's their way or the highway basically," he said.

"They couldn't care less about any concerns we may have."

Mr Nesseler said the issue had been dragging on since September 2022 and, judging by the government's actions, it was pushing ahead with compulsory acquisition.

"They've been on the land six times to dig and prod and assess...they're not stopping. There's no indication that they're reconsidering anything. They're moving forward," he said.

After first airing his concerns last year, Mr Nesseler said the government was now not going to take as much land near his helicopter business but it was "still woefully inadequate" and wouldn't allow him to be able to continue operating the way he had been.

During the busy summer tourist peak, the family has allowed Parks Victoria to use part of his land for extra car parking - something it has done for the past six years. "It's completely inadequate the infrastructure there," Mr Nesseler said.

It was that increasing pressure on the site that prompted the family years ago to propose their own larger privately-developed tourist information complex to ease congestion.

But that's when the government stepped in and came up with its own plans instead.

"This is a clear example of a scenario where they don't need to be involved. We will build whatever they want there - world-class facilities," Mr Nesseler said.

"Just let us do it. Leave it in private hands."

Mr Nesseler said the state government's debt level for the people of Victoria was escalating at a "frightful" rate and he feared the millions set aside for the site years ago would now not stretch far enough.

He also said the government hadn't "come clean" on why they wouldn't allow the private sector to develop the area, other than to say "it's too important".

"Tell us why. If it is part of handing it back to the First Nations people, then come out and say that," he said.

He said a compulsory acquisition of private land for First Nation's people would be a landmark move.

Mr Nesseler said his plans for the site included a restaurant and cafe but would have left entry free for visitors.

The state government has not ruled out introducing an entry fee.

A government has previously said discussions were continuing with relevant parties and were confidential.

Polwarth MP Richard Riordan said he would raise the matter in Parliament next week.

"The land acquisition down at Port Campbell - it hasn't progressed at all," Mr Riordan said.

"The Nesseler family are being left in limbo.

"It's outrageous.

"The government has been messing around for 18 months threatening to buy private land in a ridiculous compulsory acquisition."

Mr Riordan said the Twelve Apostles should have had a world-class visitor centre built a decade ago.

"It hasn't progressed at all," he said.

"It affects the development of commercial enterprises down there.

"We had two years of COVID where we could have got things under way.

"We're out of COVID now and visitors are coming back and we're still no more advanced than we were 20 years ago."