Borough working quickly to prevent coastal erosion

The Borough of Queenscliffe has responded quickly to repair and improve erosion prevention infrastructure following recent wild weather.

Severe storm surges, king tides and heavy swell battered parts of Victoria over the past fortnight, including sea walls right throughout the Borough. The main damage suffered within our municipality was at Narrows Beach, where the tidal erosion fence became broken and unstable, while wave motion caused a nearby set of timber stairs to become loose.

Council worked quickly to repair the damage promptly and in a cost-effective manner, with the whole operation estimated at around $2,000. These facilities are now better equipped to protect our coastline from damaging weather over the winter period.

“Part of what we value most about living in the Borough is its spectacular coastline and welcoming beaches. Council is focused on preserving that environment for the benefit of many generations to come,” said Queenscliffe Mayor Cr Ross Ebbels. “When dealing with acts of nature such as these increased tides, we’re always looking with one eye to the future. This means ensuring that any works are safe, sturdy, reliable and need replacing less often.”

Council is working closely with the Victorian Department of Environment, Land, Water & Planning (DELWP) regarding local foreshore areas controlled by the State. The aforementioned Narrows Beach cliff face suffered further degradation and Council has approached DELWP to assess the damage.

Parks Victoria has also been engaged to protect and repair the beach and dune system between Queenscliff Pier and the ferry terminal, where high wave motions left a two-metre sand cliff at the high tide mark.

While the Borough may have been comparatively fortunate with the amount of damage it received compared to other locations along Victoria’s South-West coast, Council continues to take a proactive measure towards these weather events, which now happen with increasing frequency.

Council’s erosion repair work also ties in with the scheduled climate change mitigation events for the upcoming year.