Tourists to pay to park at new Twelve Apostles visitor centre

The visitor centre is undergoing a multi-million-dollar revamp and the state government this month allocated almost $1 million to upgrade the car park infrastructure.

There will be more car parking spaces created but locals will not be required to pay for parking at what will be called the Twelve Apostles Visitor Experience Centre.

Tourists will however be charged a fee to park. How much people will pay and who will be exempt is yet to be announced.

The scope of the project has also changed following community engagement which has required the government to contribute an additional $18 million to the project.

Plans for the new-look centre were released this week showing a proposed roof-top garden, and the process to select the builder to construct the new centre begins next month.

A Victorian Government spokesperson said the Twelve Apostles precinct redevelopment project would transform the iconic tourism destination, ensuring it remained a much-loved Victorian landmark to be enjoyed by generations to come.

"The redevelopment will make the Twelve Apostles safer and easier to experience, help to attract domestic and international visitors, and encourage people to stay longer in the region," the spokesperson said.

"The new Visitor Experience Centre will act as the gateway to the Shipwreck Coast, strengthening the region's reputation as a leading tourist destination in Australia - with those tourism benefits flowing to the local community.

"New and existing tourism businesses in the area will benefit from the new attraction, and more local jobs will be created."

Plans for the Visitor Experience Centre were announced in 2019 as part of the Geelong City Deal, and the project includes land acquisition costs to turn the site into a public asset.

There are no plans to transfer or gift the land outside of government ownership.

Discussions with the landowner have been ongoing, and the process to purchase the land from the owners has now begun.