Sand levels topped up at Marengo

THE Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning (DELWP) will replenish sand levels at Marengo to protect critical infrastructure behind the foreshore.

Contractors will transport 16,000 cubic metres of sand from Apollo Bay Harbour to Marengo, creating an additional three metres of sand dune along 500 metres of beach.

The works started last week, and DELWP land and built environment program manager Frances Northeast said the project was designed to slow down erosion observed at the site in recent years.

“By providing an immediate buffer from winter storms, the additional sand will safeguard infrastructure including the Great Ocean Road path, public car parking and the Great Ocean Road foundation.

“The sand for this project will be dredged from the Apollo Bay Harbour, where an excess of sand had built up.

“Removing this sand prevents a safety risk for vessels entering and the exiting the harbour.

“The coming works build on a sand renourishment undertaken at Marengo last year, which averted further erosion behind the foreshore.

“As a result, the foundation of the Great Ocean Road was protected, allowing this important route to stay open.

“We expect to see the sand slopes change significantly after the sand renourishment, and form a more natural slope over time.

“On the advice of coastal engineers, we’re planning to repeat this process multiple times over the coming years, with the aim of building up resilience in the foreshore.

“Our foreshores are an important asset to the region, but are susceptible to constant natural processes. As such, ongoing work is needed to protect them and surrounding infrastructure.”

The Marengo foreshore will be closed during the works, but the public can get access to the beach outside of construction hours.

With up to 20 truck movements expected to occur each day, a traffic management plan is in place.

The $100,000 works are being carried out by DELWP with the support of the Otway Coast Committee.

In the coming weeks, DELWP will also provide support for a Colac Otway Shire sand renourishment project at Apollo Bay, where storms have caused significant erosion along the foreshore.