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2 July 2025
Barwon Coast is pleased to announce it has received funding through the Victorian Government’s 2024–25 Coastal Public Access and Risk Grants Program.
1 July 2025
Barwon Coast has formally taken on management of the Black Rock foreshore Crown land reserve, following approval from the Victorian Minister for Environment.
29 June 2025
Barwon Coast is excited to announce the planned upgrade of the Breamlea Caravan Park playground, part of our commitment to improving visitor experiences at our parks.
25 June 2025
The construction of the Changing Places facility at Ocean Grove Main Beach is almost complete, with only minor works remaining.
20 June 2025
We currently have one active hooded plover nest that is expected to hatch in the coming weeks...
Home / Permissions / Commercial Recreational Activities & Tour Operator Licences
Published on 2 July 2025
Barwon Coast supports safe, sustainable, and high-quality nature-based tourism that helps people connect with the coastal environment while contributing to the local economy.
A commercial recreational activity is any regular or repeated activity conducted on public land for commercial gain. This can include:
If your activity is a one-off, you’ll likely only need an Event Permit — not a licence.
If you operate on a regular basis for commercial gain, you must hold a Tour Operator Licence to use Crown land managed by Barwon Coast. This is a legal requirement under the Crown Land (Reserves) Act 1978, and other public land management legislation.
Licences are issued by Barwon Coast on an Expression of Interest (EOI) basis. Licence numbers are limited to ensure public access is preserved and impacts on the coast are minimised.
We are currently inviting EOIs for the following activity types:
Including surfing, sea-kayaking, stand-up paddle boarding and similar human-powered activities. Approved locations include:
Including yoga, meditation, fitness classes and personal training.
Approved areas include:
Licences will commence 1 April 2025.
EOI applications are open now and will close 5pm, 19 January 2025.
All applications must be submitted via the TenderLink portal.
This is Wadawurrung Country. We acknowledge the Wadawurrung People as the Traditional Owners of the land, waters, seas and skies of Ocean Grove, Barwon Heads, 13th Beach and Breamlea. We honour and say Nyatne to Elders past, present and future whose ancestors, for thousands of years, have cared for this part of Dja (Country). We are committed as an organisation to meaningfully work together with Traditional Owners to make Wadawurrung Culture and Country strong.
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