Mallacoota Foreshore Holiday Park Master Plan

Mallacoota Foreshore Holiday Park Master Plan

Council is preparing a long-term Master Plan to guide the future of Mallacoota Foreshore Holiday Park.

A Master Plan is a practical, long‑term planning tool. It helps guide and prioritise improvements over time by setting a clear direction informed by community values, evidence and best‑practice considerations. Importantly, it helps ensure future changes are realistic, carefully considered, and able to be delivered and looked after over the long term.

Our vision is to create a vibrant, inclusive, and environmentally conscious holiday park that celebrates Mallacoota’s unique character, offers exceptional visitor experiences, achieves strong financial performance, and contributes to community wellbeing and regional prosperity.

The Master Plan will outline realistic and achievable directions that balance the day‑to‑day functioning of the park with the protection and celebration of Mallacoota’s unique environmental, cultural and community values.

Mallacoota Foreshore Holiday Park Master Plan – Project Update

Council has appointed ODIN360, an independent specialist consultancy, to prepare the Mallacoota Foreshore Holiday Park Master Plan on Council’s behalf.

ODIN360 has been engaged in accordance with a clearly defined scope of works to undertake the analysis, engagement and planning required to develop the Master Plan. This work is intended to build a strong evidence base to inform the Master Plan.

What the consultant has been asked to do

As part of preparing the Master Plan, ODIN360 has been asked to consider and examine a broad range of matters to ensure the plan is informed by evidence, community values and relevant constraints, and that it responds to the project objectives already published on Your Say.

These objectives are to:

• Create a welcoming and meaningful park experience that connects visitors and the local community with Mallacoota’s natural environment, history, and culture.
• Flexible and sustainable accommodation that meets visitor needs, supports the local economy, and ensures the park remains financially sustainable over the long term.
• Position the park as a low‑impact, eco‑friendly destination by protecting environmental and cultural values and striving for best‑practice eco‑tourism that reflects community expectations.
• Improve ageing facilities and enhance shared spaces so they are more comfortable, accessible and better support everyday use, social connection and shared activities for visitors and the Mallacoota community.

To support these objectives, ODIN360 has been asked to undertake work including:

• Reviewing relevant legislation and regulatory requirements that apply to the park, including planning controls, environmental requirements, cultural heritage considerations and Crown land obligations
• Understanding how the park aligns with other relevant plans and strategies, such as the Coastal and Marine Management Plan, the Mallacoota Recreation Reserve Master Plan and Council’s broader strategic documents
• Assessing the condition, performance and future needs of existing infrastructure and assets within the park
• Considering climate change risks, sustainability and adaptation opportunities for park infrastructure
• Identifying the historic, cultural, recreational and natural values of the park and the surrounding environment
• Reviewing past community feedback and guest survey information provided by Council
• Designing and delivering community and stakeholder engagement activities, such as surveys, workshops and discussions
• Analysing feedback from engagement and identifying key themes and community values to integrate into planning principles.
• Undertaking strategic, market and financial analysis to inform future options and decision‑making.
• Developing high‑level concepts for priority areas to support future planning discussions

As part of this work, ODIN360 will also prepare a draft Master Plan that brings these elements together. The draft Master Plan will be shared publicly so the community can review and provide feedback, before it is refined and presented to Council for consideration.

Importance of engagement

Early and ongoing engagement is critical to the success of the Master Plan. Community input and local knowledge help the project team understand what people value about the park, what is working well, and what needs to be carefully considered.

A summary of what was heard through the early community and visitor survey has already been published on Your Say. These themes were reinforced and expanded through subsequent guest and community listening post sessions, which provided more detailed insight into how people use and experience the park day to day and what matters most to them.

Engagement and supporting analysis are helping to build an understanding of a wide range of needs, including those of existing park users, local residents and people who do not currently stay at the park. This includes understanding both why some people use the park and why others do not, so the Master Plan can consider how the park can remain welcoming and accessible to different people over time, while respecting its setting and protecting the qualities the community values.

Feedback gathered through surveys, listening post sessions and other engagement activities forms a key part of the evidence base used to inform the Master Plan, its guiding principles, and how the project objectives are applied in practice.

A separate update titled Themes Emerging from Early Engagement has been published in the Your Say news feed below, to outline how feedback from the survey and listening post sessions aligns and where additional local insights were raised.

How the project is being delivered

The Master Plan is being developed through a structured, staged approach so that engagement and analysis occur progressively and inform each stage of work.

The project is broadly being delivered across five phases:

• Early engagement and background analysis
• Targeted engagement and assessment of current conditions and assets
• Visitor, community, and regional demand analysis
• Preparation of a draft Master Plan and supporting analysis
• Finalisation of the Final Master Plan, incorporating feedback prior to Council consideration

Any concepts developed through the draft Master Plan will be high‑level and illustrative, intended to support discussion and feedback, rather than represent approved designs or decisions.

This staged approach is intended to ensure decisions are informed by evidence and consultation gathered throughout the project and aligned with the project objectives.

What happens next

A draft Master Plan will be released publicly for community feedback before it is finalised or considered by Council. All feedback received will be documented and considered.