Steps toward safer beaches across the Bellarine

BEACHGOERS on the Bellarine will benefit from a wave of coastal upgrades, with five local projects awarded state funding to improve safety and shoreline access.

The grants, part of the Victorian government’s $1.4 million coastal public access and risk program, will support repairs and upgrades to beach access points across Portarlington, Ocean Grove, Barwon Heads and Queenscliff.

These access points have either sustained damaged during recent storm or tidal events or, due to their age and sensitivity to erosion, are ready to be replaced.

Bellarine MP Alison Marchant said the region’s land managers, who will oversee the delivery of each of the projects, played a vital role in caring for and protecting the Bellarine’s coastal environments.

“Marine and coastal environments face a number of competing demands, including the impacts of climate change and an increasing number of people visiting our beaches.

“These grants [will] help provide our community with safe access to beaches will managing risks to our marine and coastal environments.”

The Borough of Queenscliffe will receive $52,000 to replace the stairs at the Narrows ‘Dog’ Beach access point, which were damaged in September last year during an extreme weather event that downed trees, damaging buildings and left thousands across the region without power.

The project is awaiting consent from the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action to begin and is expected to be completed in time for summer.

Barwon Coast will receive $300,000 to replace the beach access stairs at both Thirteenth Beach Road in Barwon Heads (formerly known as 30W East) and Collendina in Ocean Grove (formerly 7W).

Both structures are more than 25 years old and have suffered significant damage from storm events and coastal erosion during that time, while their deteriorating condition has led to repeated beach access closures.

Construction at Thirteenth Beach will begin in October and is expected to be completed before the summer peak, while works at Collendina are scheduled to begin next year in February and be completed by May.

Meanwhile, Bellarine Bayside will receive $120,000 to undertake restoration works at the Steeles Rock Boat Ramp in Portarlington, longer-term coastal planning for the area, as well as develop a plan to implement the safety and sustainability recommendations outlined in a broader beach access study that investigated access points across the northern Bellarine.

“The beaches on the northern Bellarine are treasured for their easy access to the calm waters of Port Phillip Bay. However, like all coastal environments, they are continually changing and require thoughtful management,” Bellarine Bayside chair Melanie Rogers said.

“This support enables us to deliver comprehensive coastal planning and restoration projects that take a holistic approach to ensure safe, sustainable and inclusive beach access for everyone, now and into the future.”