Barwon Heads, Victoria

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Barwon Heads Geelong, Victoria
The iconic Barwon Heads Bridge.
Postcode:	3227
Property Value:	AUD $381,250 (2007)
LGA:	City of Greater Geelong
State District:	South Barwon
Federal Division:	Corangamite

Barwon Heads (38°16′48″S, 144°29′31″E; post code: 3227) is a coastal township on the Bellarine Peninsula, near Geelong, Victoria, Australia. It is situated at the mouth "heads" of the Barwon River.

Nearby Thirteenth Beach is a popular surfing location, the beach is named for its proximity to the 13th hole of the golf course. The town was subject to flooding, including a flood that lasted some weeks in 1952, until the construction of levee banks in the 1950s.

1 Barwon Heads Bridge
2 SeaChange & tourism
3 References
4 External links
5 See Also

[edit] Barwon Heads Bridge

The Barwon Heads Bridge was opened in 1927, crossing the Barwon River between Barwon Heads and Ocean Grove.

The bridge was used in filming the ABC television series SeaChange.

In July, 2006 the Victoria State Government shelved plans to replace the heritage-listed^[1] bridge with a new one. ^[2]

The current disrepair of the bridge provided a unique opportunity to make a decision which improves traffic and well-being for future generations. A proposal to align a new bridge with the Geelong Road would have the benefit of re-routing the increasing traffic flows away from the primary school and shopping precinct. Indeed a gap in residential land was originally allocated for that purpose. There have been objections to this proposal from other "stakeholders". An example is the Barwon Heads Sailing Association, who would possibly have to abandon their sailboat racing if a new bridge aligned at Geelong Road were to be constructed. Other groups cite the Ramsar wetlands international agreement that supposedly prohibits new construction on registered wetlands, such as this part of the Barwon Estuary. It could be argued that work at the current bridge site comes under the same convention, but the reality is that there are virtually no mangroves etc near either site. In general the objectors feel that improved safety and ambience for the majority of the town is not as important as the inconvenience of increased traffic near their residential properties.

On the 16th March 2007 it was announced that the current bridge would be widened and improved and there were no plans to build a second bridge upstream. This decision may involve the outcome of a parallel bridge some metres from the current bridge with loss of car parking etc. Some see this decision as the product of a highly unsatisfactory process and ignoring the future needs of the local community.

[edit] SeaChange & tourism

Main article: Seachange (term)

The distinctive blue weatherboards of Diver Dan's boatshed café have become a local landmark due to SeaChange.

During the late 1990s, Barwon Heads was the primary location of filming for the popular Australian television series, SeaChange. In the past decade Barwon Heads has become subject to what is colloquially known in some parts of Australia as the 'seachange effect'.

Since the SeaChange television series first aired in 1998 there has been a significant increase in tourism and real estate (both commercial and residential) in the area. This has resulted in a radical increase in property and land values, making the town an ideal location for property developers.