By a Phillip Islander
WE HAVE another holiday weekend, a cause for celebration amongst city folk no doubt, but a trial for the local community.
And as usual the same problems recur: overcrowding, road & carpark rage, bridge buildups, tired motorists, frustrated children, long delays in Cowes supermarket carparks etc
WE HAVE another holiday weekend, a cause for celebration amongst city folk no doubt, but a trial for the local community.
And as usual the same problems recur: overcrowding, road & carpark rage, bridge buildups, tired motorists, frustrated children, long delays in Cowes supermarket carparks etc
“We have a system designed to cater for 14,000 permanent population, not the 80,000 on the island during the holiday season.”
Letter to Phillip Island & San Remo Advertiser
So what's to be done? Herewith suggestions/solutions:
1. Heavy traffic on Phillip Island during summer months and holiday weekends causes severe overcrowding in townships and in shopping areas, and causes traffic problems from the Anderson Interchange to Cowes, sometimes even from Lang Lang
- at Wilson's Promontory, Victoria, Australia, the number of holidaymakers and campers is restricted during summer months & holiday weekends
- on Lord Howe Island, New South Wales, Australia, the number of people entering and leaving is controlled. For over 40 years Lord Howe has implemented a cap of 400 tourists at a time by fixing the number of beds available to visitors. This was to protect Lord Howe's many unique endemic species, which helped the island earn recognition as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1982. It was listed on the New South Wales State Heritage Register in 1999, and on the Australian National Heritage List in 2007
- at Oxford, UK, motorists park in a designated area on the outskirts where special buses transport passengers to the city centre. Frequent train services from London's Paddington Station also take people directly to the centre. In Oxford itself there is limited vehicle access only
- on Belle Isle, an island off the coast of France (and slightly larger than Phillip Island), local traffic only is permitted. Tourists and visitors are ferried from the mainland and hire bikes upon arrival
- visitor limitation is now under consideration in Venice, Italy, and in Istanbul, Turkey, both seriously affected by current tourist overcrowding
1. Heavy traffic on Phillip Island during summer months and holiday weekends causes severe overcrowding in townships and in shopping areas, and causes traffic problems from the Anderson Interchange to Cowes, sometimes even from Lang Lang
- at Wilson's Promontory, Victoria, Australia, the number of holidaymakers and campers is restricted during summer months & holiday weekends
- on Lord Howe Island, New South Wales, Australia, the number of people entering and leaving is controlled. For over 40 years Lord Howe has implemented a cap of 400 tourists at a time by fixing the number of beds available to visitors. This was to protect Lord Howe's many unique endemic species, which helped the island earn recognition as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1982. It was listed on the New South Wales State Heritage Register in 1999, and on the Australian National Heritage List in 2007
- at Oxford, UK, motorists park in a designated area on the outskirts where special buses transport passengers to the city centre. Frequent train services from London's Paddington Station also take people directly to the centre. In Oxford itself there is limited vehicle access only
- on Belle Isle, an island off the coast of France (and slightly larger than Phillip Island), local traffic only is permitted. Tourists and visitors are ferried from the mainland and hire bikes upon arrival
- visitor limitation is now under consideration in Venice, Italy, and in Istanbul, Turkey, both seriously affected by current tourist overcrowding
2. Signage on the Island is problematic
- a wide variety of road speed signs currently exist on the island
- one fixed limit would be less confusing, and less distracting for motorists
3. Excess signage is unnecessary and a visual distraction
- Watch Out for Wildlife, Care for Our Wildlife, Report Injured Wildlife, Our Wildlife Island, etc, signs are everywhere
- too many huge signs proclaim the attractions, the ticket sales, the current water level, the bush fire danger, the dangers of drink driving, etc
- too many advertising signs, flapping fabric banners, signs about parks/entertainment centres/venues/cafes, etc
4. Poor/Inadequate Information
- a carefully managed Information Centre clearly addressing the above-mentioned would be helpful
- a wide variety of road speed signs currently exist on the island
- one fixed limit would be less confusing, and less distracting for motorists
3. Excess signage is unnecessary and a visual distraction
- Watch Out for Wildlife, Care for Our Wildlife, Report Injured Wildlife, Our Wildlife Island, etc, signs are everywhere
- too many huge signs proclaim the attractions, the ticket sales, the current water level, the bush fire danger, the dangers of drink driving, etc
- too many advertising signs, flapping fabric banners, signs about parks/entertainment centres/venues/cafes, etc
4. Poor/Inadequate Information
- a carefully managed Information Centre clearly addressing the above-mentioned would be helpful