Locals to learn Point Lonsdale beach findings next month

Locals to learn Point Lonsdale beach findings next month.

COMMUNITY members fighting to save Point Lonsdale front beach from erosion are eagerly awaiting the results of a sand management study.

The Department of Environment Land, Water and Planning has undertaken the Point Lonsdale Groyne Field Design Options Study and will share the findings at two Community Open House sessions early next month.

Locals are invited to attend the sessions to view the results of the study, give feedback on groyne options identified in the study and find out about community sand monitoring activities.

James Cotton from the Save Point Lonsdale Front Beach group said he was hoping for a solution that would restore the controls in place before all the previous groynes were removed, which was even more critical now after the dredging.

“This would mean putting in at least one big groyne (similar to existing groynes), or three smaller groynes, from the southern most existing groyne, towards the point,” he said.

“The waves currently roll around the point, with greater frequency and velocity than before the dredging, as shown by Worley Parsons monitoring, so groynes need to be put in place to break up this power to save the front beach, as indeed they previously did.”

DELWP said the sessions would provide feedback on groyne design options to help them better understand the community’s preferences and opinions of each option.

The opportunity to provide online feedback will also be available for community members who are unable to attend the open house sessions.

DELWP says another major component of the open house will be to support local citizen science.

“We will present various tools and methods available to monitor sand movement at the Point Lonsdale front beach and provide guidance on the next steps to formalise a Point Lonsdale Sand Monitoring Program and Community Group,” a DELWP spokesperson said.

“Following the August open house, DELWP will continue to provide guidance to the interested community members in order to progress the sand monitoring program.”

The sessions will be held on August 7 (3pm-7pm) and August 11 (1pm-4pm) at the Point Lonsdale Bowls Club.

Bellarine MP Lisa Neville announced in December that her government would fund the community sand monitoring program at Point Lonsdale’s front beach and a detailed groyne-field design to inform further action about the installations.

For more information on DELWP’s work along the coast, head to the website at coastsandmarine.vic.gov.au.