‘It’s only fair that visitors to the region pay a small fee to visit this world-class destination so that we can maintain it for future generations,’ insisted Victoria’s Environment Minister, Steve Dimopoulos.

Where’d he get his definition of ‘fair’ from – Mao’s Little Red Book?

Victoria isn’t considering adding a fee to the Twelve Apostles because it’s maintaining the natural wonder of the Australian landscape, it’s doing it to justify the $126 million it has earmarked for the visitor centre.

How does a visitor centre cost orders of magnitude more than harbour-side mansions? Are they plating it in gold? Does it have a military installation on the roof? Has the government entirely lost touch with value?

It has been built in partnership with the Eastern Maar Aboriginal Corporation, who are exempt from the new tourist tax. Locals will also be exempt.

But not the taxpayers who footed the bill or Australians at large.

If this has been put to a vote, it would have been voted down, judging by how unpopular the announcement is today.

Indeed, the Victorian government outright denied that it had plans to charge visitors. Here’s the same Environment Minister in 2024 responding to reports there might be a parking fee (let alone a tourist tax!): ‘The Great Ocean Road is one of Victoria’s best tourist destinations because it is accessible for families and we won’t implement any measures that would harm this.’

Is there any penalty for selling the public one thing and delivering something else?

Not if you’re a politician in Victoria!

Opposition Leader, Jess Wilson, who is desperately grasping for a political win with One Nation stalking the political waters, said, ‘I think it’s just another example of a government that’s run out of money.’

She added, ‘It’s Victorians who ultimately pay the price … having to pay an entry fee to see the Twelve Apostles, an iconic tourism site here in Victoria that should be free to see.’

Visitors can look forward to an education and interpretation experiences that includes the area’s: First Nations history; caring for country; language; culture; and truth telling through time.

How about we slash the extravagant bill and focus on the natural beauty which is supposed to belong to all Australians?

You have to love how the redevelopment boasts that it will ‘improve access’ by making it more expensive.

Screenshot from rdv.vic.gov.au

While we’re on the topic of unity and culture, is there any particular reason the Victorian government features a trans flag but can’t find room for the Australian flag on its money-draining projects?

Are we not a ‘partner’ in this vision, as the major source of funding?

Arguments made by the government and tourist departments pointed out that there were fees for national attractions in other parts of the country. Their cash grab isn’t unusual.

Which is a good point. It’s wrong to charge Australians extra fees on top of the billions spent nation-wide on the upkeep of national parks. Australians are already paying. Repeatedly. Charge the foreign tourists, sure, but Australians should have some privileges and one of those could be the free use of their natural landscape.

Means testing fees for the Twelve Apostles is not the answer either. Such measures fuel class divides and aggression in a cost-of-living crisis. The only test should be nationality.

If the Liberals want to make themselves useful, they could propose a full cost audit on the project to find out how it’s possible to spend $126 million on this project. How many people were involved? What was the cost of each cultural add-on? Is it value for money? As a taxpayer, it feels wholly unreasonable for what is actually being delivered.

Public money is too often spent as if it came directly off the printing presses.

Perhaps if Jacinta Allan was more careful with her government-approved projects, she wouldn’t have to send her Environment Minister around with a begging bowl.

Victoria’s debt is $160.9 billion. Australia’s federal debt will pass $1 trillion this year.

We don’t have enough money to properly guarantee our national security, but governments are burning money on cultural projects that should be much lower down the list.