Dredged sand plan gets approval

DISPOSAL of sand from dredging of the Apollo Bay harbour entrance has restarted off the lee wall.
Colac Otway Shire chief executive Sue Wilkinson said the council was extremely pleased to have received the necessary approvals from the state government for the sand disposal to be relocated from Mother’s Beach.
“Receiving coastal consent from the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning is a positive outcome for the community and the environment.
“Disposing sand off the lee wall will allow dredging activities to increase as needed around the harbour entrance as the sand is able to disperse more quickly from the lee wall.
“It will also result in the beach being returned to its natural shape due to the sand being dispersed through the natural tidal and sand movement cycle, preventing it from gathering in one area”.
She said the safety fencing around Mother’s Beach had also now been removed, which is a positive for tourism and the local community using the beach.
“We appreciate the Apollo Bay community’s patience while we went through the process of receiving the required approvals and we are delighted to be able to return this popular beach to its natural state.”
The Colac Otway Shire recently rezoned the harbour to a Special Use Zone Schedule 2 that supports certain development.
As part of the process, the new zone requires that a Development Plan be prepared to guide future development, prior to development commencing.
The council has resolved to support a market-based approach for preparation of the Development Plan, which will seek expressions of interest from the private sector for plans which meet the expectations of the community based on the planning controls in place, including an indoor heated swimming pool.