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5 October 2026
Our 2025-26 Annual Report is now available online.
29 September 2026
An update on construction activities at Barwon Heads Caravan Park
17 September 2026
Barwon Heads – Barwon River Bar Depths Compromised
16 September 2026
We continue to closely monitor conditions at the Surf Bridge North and Surf Bridge Southbeach access tracks at RAAFs Beach.
14 September 2026
Barwon Coast is recruiting at least 15 Casual Cleaning Officers to join our caravan park and campground team for the busy 2026-27 peak season.
Home / Recent Projects / At The Heads Restaurant Refurbishment Project
Online community survey opened 100%
Drop-in information session 100%
Online community survey closes 100%
Consideration of community feedback. 100%
Published on 31 July 2024
“At The Heads” restaurant and kiosk at the Barwon Heads jetty, is 25 years old and needs an upgrade to continue to meet industry standards and improve the internal functioning of the restaurant.
The restaurant is on coastal Crown land managed by Barwon Coast through a lease arrangement with Short Game Pty Ltd. The restaurant and kiosk provide a passive way for visitors and the local community to enjoy and experience the coast.
‘At The Heads” was converted to a restaurant in the early 2000’s from a historical fisherman’s co-op building.
The refurbishment works are within the existing lease area and include the following elements
The works will use external colours and finishes that complement the existing restaurant building. The proposed works are detailed in the architectural drawings drafted by 3id Architecture studio based in Geelong. The new public seating area will allow space for people to sit when visiting the kiosk, and generally provide some shelter from the prevailing southerly weather.
Refurbishment works at “At The Heads” will take place from 10 June to late September 2025. During this time, the restaurant and the adjacent car park on the bridge side of the building will be closed to the public to allow safe and efficient completion of the works.
Key construction activities include
Barwon Coast is working closely with the tenant and contractors to minimise disruption during the construction period. The kiosk will reopen as soon as it is safe and practical to do so.
While the main car park will be closed, alternative parking is available nearby at
We thank the community for their understanding while this important upgrade is delivered.
A component of the refurbishment works is the relocation of the ‘Boot Room’. The Boot Room is a structure of local historical significance linked to the Barwon Heads jetties and maritime activities at Barwon Heads since the 19th century.
Currently, the Boot Room is part of the overall building structure of the “At the Heads” restaurant. The refurbishment works include the relocation and reconstruction of this structure to a place where it can be publicly accessed.
Barwon Coast recently ran a three-week community consultation process on the “At The Heads” refurbishment proposal. We were interested in your views on the external and public-related elements of the proposed works.
The community provided their feedback through an online survey that was open from 5-25 August 2024. There was also a drop in information sessions on Sunday 18 August at, “At The Heads” restaurant.
The Community Consultation Report provides a summary of what we heard from the surveys. This information will be considered as part of the Marine and Coastal Act consent process.
Our 2025–26 Annual Report is out!
It’s a snapshot of a busy year caring for the 22 kilometres of coastal Crown land we manage and the work happening every day to protect, maintain and plan for these special places.
Inside, discover:
🌊 The technical work, planning and assessments completed over the year that are helping shape the future of our coast
🌊 Projects and improvements delivered across the coast
🌊 how we work with Wadawurrung Traditional Owners, community groups and volunteers
🌊 The caravan parks and camping grounds that help fund our work
Revenue generated through @barwoncoastcaravanparks is reinvested into caring for the coast, supporting the people, projects, facilities and conservation work undertaken by our dedicated team.
Take a look back at 2025–26 and learn more about the work happening across our coast.
👉 Read the Annual Report on our website (link in bio)
We have been advised by @barwonwater to advise all regular users to avoid coming into contact with the water in the Barwon River through Geelong until further notice.
@barwonwater have experienced sewer spills today that are expected to have compromised the quality of the water.
The results of water quality testing will determine when they can provide further advice that the water is safe for use.
Please see latest updates here https://www.barwonwater.vic.gov.au/.../alerts-and-updates... We will continue to keep you updated as further information becomes available
Your summer job could look a little different this year. 🌊
We’re looking for Casual Cleaning Officers to work across our caravan parks and campground over the busy summer season.
Think flexible casual work, great coastal locations and the chance for a walk or quick dip at the beach when your shift is done.
No extensive cleaning experience? Don’t rule yourself out – training is available for the right people.
Come and meet us:
📅 Friday 9 October
⏰ 10 am–12 pm
📍 Education Room, Barwon Heads
Find out more (including a map to the Education Room!) 👉 https://barwoncoast.com.au/SummerCleaningCasuals2026
Some mixed news from our local Hooded Plovers 🐦
Unfortunately, the nests at 13th Beach and Blue Rocks have both failed. It appears the nest at Signpost, 13th Beach, hatched, but sadly the chicks did not survive. We are unsure of the cause - these little birds have lots of introduced and natural threats to deal with.
In more hopeful news, we’re seeing early signs of nesting activity at four locations across our coast – 13th Beach, Bancoora, Breamlea and Ocean Grove. 🤞
Please help give our hopeful Hooded Plover parents the best chance of success:
💙 Give birds, nests and chicks plenty of space
💙 Keep dogs on-lead and away from nesting areas
💙 Respect temporary fencing, closures and signage
💙 Walk close to the waterline and away from the dunes
Wish them luck – and please follow the signs and help give these little beach-nesting birds the space they need.
As always, a huge thank you to the Friends of the Hooded Plover Bellarine for their incredible work identifying and monitoring Hooded Plovers along our coast. 💛
🐚 Don’t forget – the Barwon Coast Discovery Centre is open extra days during the school holidays!
They’re open Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays from 1–4pm, so if you’ve got a little nature lover in the family, bring them along to check out some seriously cool stuff from our coast – from marine creatures and wildlife to geology, shipwrecks and local history. 🌊🔎
A big thank you to our friends at Friends of the Lobster Pot for giving visitors and our community even more opportunities to learn, explore and discover this special part of the coast. 💙
📍 Jetty Road, Barwon Heads
⏰ 1–4pm
💙 Free entry – all ages welcome
Find out more: https://barwoncoast.com.au/explore/barwon-coast-discovery-centre/
🌊 One last big day of the Barwon Heads Nature Festival!
Friday 25 September brings two great opportunities to celebrate – and care for – our local environment.
🧤 Barwon Heads Great Spring Clean Up - 10.00 am–12.00 pm, Lahey Square
Join the community and lend a hand to help keep Barwon Heads and our beautiful coastal environment looking its best.
🎬 Turning the Tide short film festival - 7.00–9.00 pm, Barwon Heads Hall
Then settle in for an evening of short films celebrating our oceans and the people working to protect them.
Find out more about these events and everything else happening as part of the festival:
https://www.barwonbluff.com.au/nature-festival/
A fantastic way to finish a week celebrating nature in Barwon Heads. 💚
🌱 Lend a hand at Bukareeyoo🌱
Our friends at Ocean Grove Coastcare have an upcoming regeneration event at Bukareeyoo – and they’d love some extra hands!
Join the group to help remove the environmental weed Euphorbia terracina and care for this beautiful part of our coast.
📅 Sunday 27 September
⏰ 10am–12pm
📍 BUK110 – the last car park before the Barwon Heads bridge. Look out for the Coastcare flag.
Gloves and tools will be provided, or bring your own.
Due to the plant’s irritating sap, the weeding activity isn’t suitable for children. Younger Coastcarers are still very welcome to come along with an adult and help collect rubbish.
☀️ Looking for summer work by the coast?
We’re recruiting at least 15 Casual Cleaning Officers to join our caravan park and campground team for the busy 2026–27 peak season.
Students, backpackers, seasonal workers and anyone looking for casual work are encouraged to come along to our recruitment event.
📅 Friday 9 October
⏰ 10 am–12 pm
📍 Education Room, Barwon Heads
Cleaning experience is preferred, but training is available for people with the right attitude and work ethic.
Come along, meet the team and find out if a summer with Barwon Coast could be for you.
👉 https://barwoncoast.com.au/SummerCleaningCasuals2026
🥾🛶 Walk, paddle and discover during the Barwon Heads Nature Festival
What better way to celebrate our local environment than getting out and experiencing it? There are some fantastic opportunities during the Barwon Heads Nature Festival, including:
🌿 Monday 21 September, 10.00 am – Explore Barwon Bluff
🛶 Monday 21 September, 10.00 am–12.00 pm and 12.30–2.30 pm – Canoe the Mangroves
🌱 Tuesday 22 September, 10.00 am – Walk on Country @ Barwon Bluff with Wadawurrung Traditional Owners
🌸 Wednesday 23 September, 10.00 am – Orchids in the Park
🌊 Wednesday 23 September, 7.00–9.00 pm – Land, Sea, Sky slide night
🔬 Thursday 24 September, 1.00–3.00 pm – Tide & Seek: a family ‘marine science’ day
These are just some of the events Friends of the Bluff have planned for a nature-filled week in Barwon Heads.
Take a look inside our new Moonah cabins at Barwon Heads Caravan Park! 👀🌿
Seven new cabins are *almost* ready to welcome guests, creating more opportunities for people to stay, explore Barwon Heads and experience our beautiful coast.
The new accommodation includes one dedicated accessible cabin, with accessibility and sustainability features incorporated across all seven cabins to provide comfortable, stylish and modern options for visitors to the Park.
This project was made possible with support from the Victorian Government’s Regional Tourism Investment Fund, alongside investment from Barwon Coast.
A big thank you to the Victorian Government for supporting this exciting addition to Barwon Heads Caravan Park.
We can’t wait to welcome our first guests! 🌊
@barwoncoastcaravanparks

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, Black Rock 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.

© 2026 Barwon Coast. Website by Residency Studios.