Seawall project hits a snag

East Gippsland Shire Council’s project to replace seawalls along the Esplanade in Lakes Entrance will not be finished before the school holidays as previously advised.

The back of the seawall has large amounts of concrete that still requires removing. Council was not aware of this extra material when designing the replacement seawall or determining the project timeline.

Some pieces of concrete weigh 20 tonnes, which has caused delays on the project.

Acting Director Operations Fiona Weigall said council will take a number of steps to prepare the site for the school holidays and Easter long weekend.

“The blocked off work area will be reduced to just the last section of seawall that needs completing. The rest of the boardwalk will be open and parking on the road next to the works will be restored as much as possible,” Ms Weigall said.

“Alternate access to Bank Jetty will also be provided. It is unfortunate that we have not been able to complete this project before the holidays.

“We have learnt from this project and will change the design for future upgrades to sections of the seawall so that we aren’t delayed by unanticipated materials.”

The project is expected to be completed in early June, with installation of handrails being one of the final elements.

The Esplanade seawall project involves replacing the bluestone seawall with precast concrete panels between the Lakes Entrance Coast Guard building and Bank Jetty.

The Victorian Government is contributing $1.3 million to the seawall replacement project under its Coastal Protection Infrastructure Upgrade Program, with funding being managed by the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning. Council is also contributing $452,000.