Apply to hold an event on the Surf Coast
Events held on public land within the Surf Coast Shire generally require approval from either Surf Coast Shire Council (SCS) or the Great Ocean Road Coast and Parks Authority (GORCAPA) and in some cases both authorities.
If your event takes place solely on land managed or owned by Surf Coast Shire Council, please complete the following application:
Surf Coast Shire Council Online Event Application Form
If your event takes place on land managed or owned by GORCAPA, please complete the following application:
Great Ocean Road Coast and Parks Authority Online Event Application Form
If your event takes place on land managed or owned by both GORCAPA, and SCS, you will need to complete application forms for both authorities:
Surf Coast Shire Council Online Event Application Form
Great Ocean Road Coast and Parks Authority Online Event Application Form
If you need help determining who manages the land for your event, please don’t hesitate to contact us using the details below.
Key Contacts
If your event is taking place on Great Ocean Road Coast and Parks Authority managed land, your key contact is:
Jules Robinson, Events & Permits Officer
Great Ocean Road Coast and Parks Authority
1300 736 533 or permits@GreatOceanRoadAuthority.vic.gov.au
If your event is taking place on Surf Coast Shire managed land, your key contact is:
Jim Lawson, Events Delivery Officer
03 5261 0600 or jlawson@surfcoast.vic.gov.au
Approval times
Event approval can take between three and twelve months to be granted. This can vary due to the complexity of your event, the number of permits your event requires, your current Management Plan and the number of agencies that need to make comment on your plan, eg a large event may require road closures or significant traffic management planning.
Permits
A range of permits and approvals may be required depending on the type and location of your event. It is the responsibility of event organisers to ensure that all necessary permits and permissions are obtained prior to the event.
For advice on which permits may apply to your event, please contact the Surf Coast Shire Council Events Team or the Great Ocean Road Coast and Parks Authority (GORCAPA) using the contact details provided above.
Bush Fire Season
Events operating in any part of the Surf Coast Shire within bush fire season are required to complete a Bush Fire Readiness form.
The CFA (Country Fire Authority) declares the Fire Danger Period for each municipality (shire or council) at different times in the lead up to the fire season. Check the current declared Fire Danger Period for Surf Coast Shire.
This Bush Fire Readiness Form is required to be completed three weeks prior to the event start date.
Insurance
All event organisers are required to have a current public liability policy of insurance. The policy must be in the name or business of the event organiser to the minimal amount of $20 million. The policy should cover all of the activities at the event including the periods of setting up, staging and dismantling.
The Municipal Association of Victoria website provides helpful information on insuring your event.
Grants
See Events Grants and Sponsorship Program for more information on financial assistance for events held in the Surf Coast Shire.
Cycling Activities on Great Ocean Road
If you are are seeking to conduct an organised ride on the Great Ocean Road under ‘open’ conditions, please read the Guidelines for Cycling Events on the OPEN Great Ocean Road 2021.
More information:
- Event promotion
- Event grants
- Accessible events
- Sustainable events
- Surf Coast mobile food vendors
- Weddings
- Temporary signage
Image: Surf Coast Century
