Point Grey … a vexing, frustrating burr under Lorne’s saddlebag, a mystifying stalemate for our regular visitors, a tawdry and dilapidated vista for our tourists, and [dare I say it] a thorn in the side of GORCAPA—the unelected, Spring Street-appointed quango, without nary a local Lorne within cooee of its board and structure.

Point Grey … a two-decade charade of indecision—or better, non-decision—and an embarrassing, tiresome, and grinding farce.

Point Grey … where no human hoping or dreaming will protect the land from the sea … a sea that, having risen some 40m since the last Ice Age 20,000 years ago to flood the Tasmanian land bridge to create Bass Strait, will come—it will come.

Let’s [1] understand that last simple fact, [2] stop wringing our hands, and [3] think. We can’t stop it, so … why not outsmart it?

There are two buildings at Point Grey that most [if not all] would now agree have passed their use-by date. Despite the attachment of many locals to its ageing structures, they are old, and they do need replacement. But with what … and how?

For two decades, untold dollars have been spent, and countless architectural plans and revisions have fallen to the unimaginative leadership of GORCC and, since 2020, GORCAPA. Waste: profound. Outcomes: nil.

Local ‘input’ has been sought—primarily for appearance’s sake—but no local views have ever been taken seriously, nor listened to … to the head-butting frustration of the token local ‘appointees’.

Recently, we have been told that the site cannot proceed until a wall —subject, of course, to engineers’ reports, designer plans, and financing—has been built to protect the site from the advancing sea … as if, somehow, that will solve all. A wall similar to those elsewhere along the coast … the southern end of the Eastern View beach, the low stretch of the GOR between the ‘S’ bend and Cathedral Rock, the Mount Saint George bend, Kennett River, and the Apollo Bay foreshore … to name a few. This wall [estimated completion time: 3 years] has now been deemed ‘essential’ to safeguard the site and ‘must be completed’ before further redevelopment can follow.

A good idea? … Yeah! Nah! Already edge-gouged and undercut by the all-powerful ocean, they will inevitably be worn away and turned into rubble. A wall around the Point Grey dunes may appeal to those living comfortable suburban lives, but for those who live, breathe, and marvel at the power of the sea, unsightly, futile walls merely temporise by kicking the can down the road.

After more Christmas dinner than was likely good for me, a sleep-interrupted night saw me awake in the wee small hours, mulling over [of all things] the Point Grey conundrum. As a self-confessed Napoleon tragic, my thoughts turned [as they often do] to the great strategist …

Napoleon, one of history’s most celebrated and successful generals, eventually erred when, in 1812, he invaded Russia. There, Russia’s Marshall Mikhail Kutuzov had his measure. Kutuzov, holding to a defensive strategy in the face of enormous pressure from the Russian czar, simply retreated! By drawing Napoleon ever further into Russia and avoiding engagement—except for the stalemate Battle of Borodino—Kutuzov snared Napoleon’s armies in the grip of the Russian winter. They perished.

Instead of attempting to defend the indefensible, I wonder if GORCAPA might be wiser to adopt Kutuzov’s strategy of retreat rather than trying to emulate the little Dutch boy by, figuratively speaking, plugging the Bass Strait dyke with a finger. So, how might this work?

A little over twelve months ago, Lorne residents were woken early as a flotilla of heavy trucks with low-loader trailers hauled several pre-constructed house segments down from Melbourne, around the GOR, over the bridge, and up to the corner of Otway and Fern, where a heavy crane lifted each fully completed segment [with all internal fittings in place] and accurately deposited them with centimetre-perfect precision onto pre-located construction points in the form of Shurefoot Footings. Within two days, a habitable home was in situ. For days, it was the talk of the town. Presciently, it spoke loudly to the future of the building. Only the distance to Lorne from its metropolitan manufacturer, the complexity of negotiating a winding, tree-canopied GOR, and the haulage costs loomed as disincentives to a more frequently used strategy.

Could Marshall Kutuzov’s tactic and pre-built modular construction be applied to the vexing Point Grey issue? If GORCAPA were to:

Accept that the sea is coming for the land … it has been gradually encroaching for 20 millennia and will continue to do so.
Suppress our current preoccupation with man-made climate change and apply simple evolutionary Earth science.
Understand that there are things we cannot control but can learn to manage.

… then the best solution may be to emulate Marshall Kutuzov and retreat. If we were to:

Identify current buildings under threat [in the context of this article, the two at Point Grey]
Design modular replacements that can be lifted and moved—if [or when]
Affix the modular sections to traditional concrete slabs or use innovative “high tensile strength concrete-free footings” [see: https://surefootfootings.com.au/] installed at the current sites for as long as the sea stays at bay.
Separate the component modules, re-site the slabs and/or footings to higher ground, then re-locate/re-link the modules if [or when] the sea eventually comes too close.

By in-building a retreat function to trigger when the sea threatens and establishes its ‘new foreshore’, the buildings could be disassembled, moved, then reconstructed ‘almost overnight’—as per the house at Otway and Fern.

New concrete-free steel footings could be created whenever a move seemed necessary … perhaps, in the case of the Point Grey complex, to retreating sites halfway up the two current entrance roads. While a planned retreat from the current site may not be necessary for some decades, it would be [a] easy to do, [b] far less costly, and [c] far more efficient than interminable delay pending the construction of an unsightly, doomed-to-failure sea wall.

Finally, rather than transporting the modular segments by road, bring them in by tug-drawn sea barges on a BOM-assured calm day. Positioning and assemblage could be completed in a day or two if crane-lifted from the calm cove inside the pier. Once in place, all that would then be required is a simple fit-out. And, one must ask, what would be the reduction in “down-time” for our beloved Aquatic Club if a modular building was “dropped in” rather than us all endure the usual, interminable 12 month construction period?

GORCAPA should be encouraged to think laterally. As many [if not all] Lorne residents have been expressing their dismay at the prospect of the natural, wild beauty of Point Grey being ravaged by an unsightly, doomed-to-fail, man-made sea wall, this suggestion might be one that your umpteenth steering committee/co-design group might like to consider.

John Agar

Feature Writer

A word from the chairman

Hello

I have so much to write about after a short summer break, but some of it will have to wait.

Sadly we have recently lost three gems from our Lorne community with the passing of Marie Bannister, Jack Ngatai and Michael (Mick) Turner.

Marie was our pearl. She was a pillar of our community for more than 70 years. Her early career as a schoolteacher gave her skills and a caring instinct that steered her later life of community service. Marie was involved in running the Lorne Kindergarten, the Lorne and Cumberland River caravan parks and the Tourist Information Centre. She was an accomplished sportswoman and a life member of the Lorne Country Club, where she will be sadly missed at the Tuesday Ladies lunches. She was recently recognised by the Op Shop for her extraordinary voluntary contribution in delivering more than 700 knitted beanies to the Shop over many years. RIP Marie and condolences to Gordon, family and friends.

Jack was to many of us recent arrivals known as Lorne’s taxi driver, but on his passing it has become apparent that he was in his earlier days a significant part of the Lorne community as the doorkeeper and gun pool player of the Lorne Hotel bottom bar. The many tributes from former young patrons/proteges speak of a true gentleman with a heart of gold. RIP Jack and condolences to Billie, family and friends.

Mick was our rough diamond. He carved out a distinguished career playing 245 games with Geelong including 3 years as captain, and was named team of the century winger. After his playing career, Mick turned his talents to the Geelong Falcons, where during his 25 years as regional manager he helped foster and guide 134 young footballers into successful AFL careers. He was awarded life membership of the AFL in 2024.

Mick and Karen chose to make Lorne their home in recent years and quickly became involved in the local community. Not surprisingly, Mick turned his talents to the Lorne Football and Netball Club, taking on responsibility for football recruitment and coaching strategy. Receiving a diagnosis of pancreatic cancer, Michael responded to the challenge with his customary commitment and grit, enduring major surgery which prolonged his life and enabled Karen and him to enjoy a wonderful overseas trip, before he eventually succumbed to his illness. RIP Mick and condolences to Karen, Levi, Che, families and friends.

As we mourn the loss of these good friends, we give thanks for their lives and the impact they made on our lives and our community.

“When you are sorrowful look again in your heart, and you shall see that in truth you are weeping for that which has been your delight” (Kahlil Gibran)

*****

Our Lorne cricketers are back in action this Friday with a day/night match against Forrest at Stribling Reserve starting at 4.30pm. With a top of the ladder spot on the line and a good weather forecast, where else would you want to be!

Cheers

Lorne Ward Events Calendar

January

10 – Mountain to Surf Run, 8:30am – 12pm at Lorne

10 – Tony Wolfenden Kite Exhibition Opening Night, 5-7pm at Lorne Community Connect

11 – Pier to Pub Swim, from 11am at Lorne

17-19 – Deans Marsh Sheep Dog Trials, at Deans Marsh Reserve

25 – Lorne Market, 9-3pm www.lornemarkets.com/

February

21 – 2025 Photographic Prize – Routine and Ritual Competition, closes 21 Feb 2025. Shortlist announced 10 Mar 25. Info: lornecommunityconnect.com.au