Borough beach cleaning program underway

The summer beach cleaning program in the Borough of Queenscliffe has commenced, with a clean undertaken at the Queenscliff front beach prior to the busy Melbourne Cup long weekend.

Council commenced a program to remove excess seaweed and groom the Queenscliff front beach in 2017, in response to suggestions from members of the community.

Council received positive feedback from beach users about the cleaning program and has allocated $40,000 in its 2018–19 Budget to continue the program.

The cleaning program includes removal of excess seaweed from the beach and cleaning and grooming of the sand, creating an attractive environment for beach users. Council has received particularly positive feedback about the cleaning program from families who use the Queenscliff front beach, and maintenance of a cleaner beach and improved beach access via the timber boardwalk at Tobin Drive have been key elements in increasing general public use of this picturesque part of Queenscliff.

Council monitors the beach daily, and anticipates that a further clean will be undertaken in the coming weeks in readiness for increased visitor numbers in the Borough.

The flexible nature of the beach cleaning program enables Council to schedule beach clean-ups as conditions require and in advance of higher-use periods, such as the Melbourne Cup weekend and the annual sand sculpture contest.

Weather forecasts, the state of the sea, tides and wave action, and the amount of weed on the beach all play an important part in determining Council’s beach cleaning schedule.