The Australian dream: Living on the coast

Purpose - This research provides an analysis of the disparate notions and ideas, to form an overview of the possible trends in residential property for the Victorian coastal areas of the Surf Coast and the Bellarine Peninsula. Design/methodology - This paper extends previous survey based research into patterns of urban development in two areas of coastal Victoria. Data from the recent Australian census results updates these earlier findings to investigate whether any changes in theses patterns have occurred since 2005. Findings - These coastal communities and their environment are at serious risk from the increased growth of both population and tourism. It is only with the support of all three tiers of government that the future requirements of coastal communities will be met. Social implications - There needs to be a policy framework of sustainable growth and a funding approach to enable the local councils, not only on the Bellarine Peninsula and the Surf Coast, but on all Australian coastal areas, to embark on an extensive program to provide the necessary services and infrastructure for these changing environments. Originality - This research outlines how Government planning and local councils are working to address these changing urban patterns, outlined in previous research, to protect the Victorian coastal environment.