Aireys Inlet Top Shops Design Improvements

Stage two consultation open until 10 April 2026

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Aireys Inlet Top Shops Design Improvements

Community input has helped shape ideas to enhance the Aireys Inlet top shops area, with a draft design now ready for feedback.

Keeping with Aireys Inlet’s treasured coastal character, the draft design outlines how the precinct could be safer, easier to move through, and greener – all while supporting the businesses in the top shops strip.

To meet safety and accessibility requirements, the design reduces parking by five spaces (29 to 24). This layout was the only option that allowed a safe, continuous footpath. If supported, the next phase will look at parking options beyond the top shops area.

We encourage you to view:

The draft design
Key design maps
Aireys Top Shops – The Reasons Why

The above three documents will provide a full background, before you:

Have your say on the final draft design

About the project

Find out more
Community Engagement

Stage 1 engagement summary and stage 2 key details
Latest news

Get the latest news here

Design mood board by local Pete Wilson, Landscape Architect

Key Dates

March to April 2026

Have your say on draft design in stage two community engagement period

Closes April 10

Wednesday 25th March

Pop up chat Top Shops

Join us for a chat, a slice of pizza and walk through at the Top Shops

4 - 6.30pm

May 2026

Council to consider final draft design

June 2026 onwards

If final draft design is endorsed, seek funding for construction phase

Key Dates

March to April 2026

Have your say on draft design in stage two community engagement period

Closes April 10

Wednesday 25th March

Pop up chat Top Shops

Join us for a chat, a slice of pizza and walk through at the Top Shops

4 - 6.30pm

May 2026

Council to consider final draft design

June 2026 onwards

If final draft design is endorsed, seek funding for construction phase

Document Library

Aireys Inlet Draft Concept Design
PDF (6.56 MB)
Designed by Pete Wilson Landscape Architect
Key Design Maps of Street Scape
PDF (2.03 MB)
Close up maps of the key design ideas
Aireys Top Shops – The Reasons Why
PDF (4.01 MB)

Document Library

Aireys Inlet Draft Concept Design
PDF (6.56 MB)
Designed by Pete Wilson Landscape Architect
Key Design Maps of Street Scape
PDF (2.03 MB)
Close up maps of the key design ideas
Aireys Top Shops – The Reasons Why
PDF (4.01 MB)
Aireys Inlet Top Shops and Bottom Shops Urban Design Framework
PDF (3.27 MB)
Part of Aireys Inlet to Eastern View Planning for the Future
2015 Commercial Area Guidelines
PDF (1.37 MB)
Community feedback from 2015 helped to develop guidelines in this report

FAQs

How did you come up with the draft design?

Are you proposing changing any car parking?

Will the bus stop be relocated?

Will you seal Blackwood Lane as part of this project?

Are public toilets included as part of this project?

How does the community noticeboard fit into this project?

FAQs

How did you come up with the draft design?

While there was a lot we already knew about the top shops area, we wanted to check in with the local community to confirm we had the key matters covered.

This included access, parking, safety and visual improvements, as well as social infrastructure options that encourage community connection (e.g. street furniture, shade areas, bike parking, community noticeboard and pet friendly items including dog hitch and drinking fountain/dog bowl).

An initial consultation phase took place in December 2024 and ran through to January 2025. It attracted a strong response, welcoming:

151 survey responses,

72 comments on an interactive map, and,

more than 190 conversations at three pop-up sessions.

Our Economic Development team also collected feedback from top shops businesses in February 2024.

Asked what the most important topic was, 70.47% of respondents said pedestrian safety and accessibility, followed by traffic flow and community connection.

Then we included all your feedback to work with local Landscape Architect, Pete Wilson.

All feedback helped shape the draft design. You can access a comprehensive summary of the feedback via this Your Say page.

https://yoursay.surfcoast.vic.gov.au/AireysInletTopShops/aireys-inlet-top-shops-community-engagement

Are you proposing changing any car parking?

The draft design includes a proposal to reduce the number of car park spaces by five, from 29 to 24 spaces. This will improve pedestrian safety and accessibility: the top request during the first round of community consultation.

Pete Wilson Landscape Architect in conjunction with One Mile Grid Traffic Engineering tested all feasible options to retain the existing number of car spaces while delivering improved safety and public space outcomes.

Because of the importance of parking to the community, the project timeline was paused between June 2025 and October 2025 to allow thorough investigation.

Options to retain parking and improve the precinct design included:

Widening the service road into the Great Ocean Road corridor.
Reducing the width or priority for a 1.5m bicycle lane past the Top Shops.
Introducing direct parking access from the Great Ocean Road (similar to Mountjoy Parade, Lorne).
Adding parallel parking on the opposite side of the road, as proposed in the Aireys Top & Bottom Shops Urban Design Framework 2015.

While Council manages the service road, the Great Ocean Road is managed by the Department of Transport and Planning (DTP). Further options were considered that may have resulted in additional parking however due to their impact on the Great Ocean Road, these were not supported by DTP.

The project therefore reached a clear conclusion: To deliver all the benefits of an improved design include continuous footpaths, safer crossings, greener spaces and improved village character, some reduction or modification of car parking is required. The proposal does not seek to reduce parking unnecessarily, but to improve how the precinct functions for everyone who uses it.

As a result:

All options that retained the full number of existing spaces required major compromises to footpaths, safety, accessibility or public space.
Improved pedestrian safety, continuous footpaths and better public spaces can only be achieved by modifying or reducing car parking within the existing corridor.
Widening the service road into the Great Ocean Road corridor was removed from the scope of the project.

The proposed key changes to car parking include:

45-degree parking replaced with 30-degree parking to reduce reversing conflicts, improve traffic flow and create space for the wider footpath.
Informal 90-degree parking formalised into clearly marked spaces at the gallery end, improving safety and accessibility.
Parallel parking reduced, including the relocation of the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) compliant space and loading zone to a central, level location near the pharmacy.

It’s important to note that the reduction of parallel parking is not to create space for the community gathering spot.

It’s to support moving the entry point slightly further south to make it safer and relocate the bus stop as requested at stage 1 of community consultation. It’s also needed to ensure the accessible parking spot is relocated to a safer position, on the same side as the shops.

We understand that a reduction in car parks won’t be supported by all people as many drivers prefer to find a car park close to their destination. However this isn’t always possible, particularly when there’s a focus on improving pedestrian safety and accessibility in an area with space limitations.

You can access the full summary of the parking investigation and proposal in the draft design document accessed via the main page.

Will the bus stop be relocated?

The first round of consultation supported the relocation of the bus stop. The draft design has moved it to the northern entry point to the top shops, just prior to turning left into the precinct from the Great Ocean Road.

This proposed location would improve safety and connect the bus stop to the shops with an accessible entry ramp into the main community space. The new location will also better align with the bus stop on the opposite side of the Great Ocean Road and improve the design and function of the crossing point.

If this project is supported through to the final draft design, we’ll work with the state government on the potential relocation.

Will you seal Blackwood Lane as part of this project?

While initially out of scope for the project, Blackwood Lane has now been included in scope and costed as a part of the project delivery.

The design proposes to seal the top section of Blackwood Lane to handle a higher volume of traffic to the General Store.

The lower section of Blackwood Lane is proposed to be spray-sealed to create a stabilised gravel finish, and retain the informal aesthetic.

This treatment to Blackwood Lane will reduce dust and, when combined with the new drainage and stormwater treatments, improve draining issues.

Are public toilets included as part of this project?

Our previous investigations have determined that the most suitable locations for public toilets are the Aireys Inlet Community Hall and the Aireys Inlet Skatepark.

The draft design does include a potential location for portaloos during community events.

How does the community noticeboard fit into this project?

Aireys Inlet Tourism and Traders Association (AITTA) and Aireys Inlet and District Association (AIDA) were successful obtaining an external grant for a community noticeboard in the top shops area.

According to the AIDA website, “this project will enhance community information sharing, sustainable tourism and local way-finding by installing a community-supported, local artisan-designed information hub”.

We are working with AIDA and AITTA to incorporate the community noticeboard into the wider top shops project.

What is proposed for the telephone box and/or bins?

It’s proposed the bins will be relocated to create a clearer and more attractive space. While the exact new location is yet to be determined, it’s planned to be near the seating area and will keep with the natural look and feel the community told us they wanted in stage one consultation.

We’ve heard through initial stage two conversations there is support to keep the phone box. We will review this at the end of the consultation period when we’ve gathered all feedback.

I don’t agree with a particular element in the draft plan, how can I have my say?

We want to hear all feedback, so please let us know by completing the online survey accessed via this page.

Have your say on the draft design

If you would like a printed copy of the survey to fill out, please call us on 5261 0600 so we can arrange one for you.

Why has this project taken longer than first expected?

The project was put on hold from June 2025 to October 2025, while we explored as many options and opportunities to align design improvements with the Department of Transport and Planning (DTP) and the Great Ocean Road corridor to retain or increase the number of car parks.

We re-started the project in November 2025 and look forward to feedback on this stage two consultation.

Thanks for your interest and advice.

Do you know what’s happening with the vacant block of land near the entry to the top shops?

This is privately-owned land.

Any questions about this project? Lodge a request with us.

Aireys Inlet Top Shops Design Improvements

Community input has helped shape ideas to enhance the Aireys Inlet top shops area, with a draft design now ready for feedback.

About the project

Community Engagement

Latest news

Design mood board by local Pete Wilson, Landscape Architect

CONTACT US