OPPONENTS of a luge-style development proposed for Arthurs Seat are ramping up their campaign, holding a public information session to help the community understand its “serious impacts”.
The $25 million plan proposes to expand the popular tourist attraction including adding a new observation tower, a pedestrian bridge over Arthurs Seat Rd, a function centre, a luge ride attraction and an “experiential interpretive centre”. But community group Save Our Seat are objecting to the controversial plans by developers Arthurs Seat Eagle in what they have labelled as a “roller-coaster-style luge” for a massive tourism redevelopment.
Save Our Seat spokesperson Kylie Greer said community members had been left in the dark and would be overwhelmingly opposed to the development – with an online petition so far attracting more than 12,000 signatures. “We know that many people in the Mornington Peninsula community have real concerns about Arthurs Seat State Park becoming over-developed and being turned into a theme park – and that they are hungry for more information,” Greer said. “The community forum will be an opportunity for the public to hear about the serious impacts of this proposal, to ask questions of a range of experts and to find out how they can help.”
The information session will be held at the Dromana Community Hall in Verdon St on Sunday 16 March from 5pm-7pm – which was an “opportunity to address the PR spin and poor community consultation of the developers”.
The MC for the session will be award-winning broadcaster and journalist Tracee Hutchison.
Greer said the public would be able to hear about the serious impacts of this proposal, with an opportunity to ask questions from a range of experts and to find out how they can help. “We’ll also be providing detailed plans that the Arthurs Seat Eagle refused to show at their own information session last October.” Kylie argued minor changes announced by Arthurs Seat Eagle to their development plans were nothing but “tinkering at the edges”.
Arthurs Seat Eagle has previously said that feedback from a community consultation session in October last year would be reviewed “to incorporate these priorities into the upgrade plans, ensuring long-term benefits for the community”. But Greer hit back saying “The bottom line is that these small changes will do nothing to address the community’s concerns about increased erosion and landslide risks, the visual impact of a larger scar on the north face of Arthurs Seat, destruction of native flora, increased bushfire risk and worsening traffic and parking conditions.”
Save Our Seat is also hosting a fundraising gig called Songs for the Seat to raise crucial funds in the fight against the development. Songs for the Seat features Australian music legends Mick Thomas and Rebecca Barnard, along with local artists DJ Centipede and The Earthworms, The Bloody Norahs and Evie Ward. The fundraiser will be held from 2pm-6pm on 30 March at the Shed at the Pig and Whistle in Main Ridge. More details can be found at www.saveourseat.org.
First published in the Mornington News – 4 February 2025
