Community input sought on North Lorne erosion

THE region’s coastal authority is seeking community input on how to help guide management of the North Lorne foreshore, months out from the release of report into an erosion hotspot in the area.

After erosion at the Three Pines carpark in January caused overland water flows and damage to a pathway that prompted emergency repairs, the Great Ocean Road Coast and Parks Authority (GORCAPA) launched a Coastal Hazard Investigation of the area in May.

The investigation into the area between the car park and Erskine River is due to report in November, but GORCAPA is seeking to identify community values of the area for inclusion in the meantime.

Feedback will be sought at an in-person community engagement session at the Three Pines carpark this Sunday, September 18 and via an online survey on the authority’s website now open until October 7.

GORCAPA says erosion in the area is occurring at a fast rate and chief executive Jodie Sizer is encouraging community input “to have a say and join us to look after this special place, now and for future generations.”

“Erosion is one of the biggest challenges we face in managing the Great Ocean Road coastline, and the challenge is only getting greater in the face of climate change.”

Emergency measures to address erosion at the site have previously been criticised by some in the town as being ineffective. A letter to the editor published in this paper in March stated GORCAPA should have used large rocks instead of the smaller ones that were placed on the landslip.

The authority disagreed with that view at the time, with a spokesperson saying large-scale works required careful planning and consent under the Marine and Coastal Act 2018 (MACA), and the emergency measures carried out in February were still working effectively during high rainfall.

According to a GORCAPA timeline, a decision on the next step for management of the site will be made by January 2023, and will align with pathways outlined in the MACA.