Anglesea cliff collapse sparks warning

The Great Ocean Road Coast and Parks Authority has issued a reminder to beach users that the beach at Demon’s Bluff, Anglesea, remains permanently closed, following a new cliff collapse incident.

Climate Action and Resilience Manager Leia Howes said the warning comes as more cracks in the cliffs have been identified.

“Our Coastal Monitoring Program has alerted us that a significant cliff fall has occurred in the closed area and sizeable cracks that will result in more cliff falls in this location.”

“The beach at Demon’s Bluff, Anglesea is permanently closed due to high-risk cliffs.”

“We urge the public to stay outside the closed area for their safety.”

In February, the beach stretch from Bird Rock to Steps in Jan Juc was under temporary closure after a paraglider discovered giant cracks on the cliff top.

Bobby Matharu posted photos of the giant fissures on social media, which prompted the Great Ocean Road Coast and Parks Authority to send a geotechnician to evaluate the site.

“I have been paragliding over these cliffs for a while but hadn’t noticed these big cracks before,” Mr Matharu said.

The Coastal Monitoring Program, part of the Victorian Coastal Monitoring Program, is tasked with evaluating coastal changes in the region. This program mainly collects data to examine the patterns of beach buildup and erosion over different times and locations.

Drone photographs from February 2024 have unveiled a recent cliff collapse at Demon’s Bluff and identified fissures that predict more cliff collapses in the area.