Bass Coast locals blast council over making coastal pathway inland

A $7.7m coastal walk 30 years in the making has become an “inland farm pathway” at Bass Coast in what locals have slammed as “an outrageous waste”.

A $7.7m coastal walk 30 years in the making has become an “inland farm pathway” at Bass Coast in what locals say will be “an outrageous waste of community money”.

Max Wells, a former high school teacher at Inverloch and OAM recipient, said the community had been “hoodwinked” and the pathway should be along the beach.

“People come to Bass Coast for ocean views, they don‘t come for inland farm trails,” he said.

Mr Wells said council had listened to the “loud minority”, not the “silent majority”.

He added the promotion for the path showed a coastal trail and he was promised council would provide the Inverloch and Cape Paterson communities with “safe off-road access along the Bunurong Road”.

The Bass Coast Shire identified the project connecting Cowes to Inverloch as a “community top advocacy priority”.

Member for Bass Jordan Crugnale said the plan to provide an accessible pathway between Inverloch and Cape Paterson is yet to be determined.

“The access and infrastructure plan outlines the 32 km trail between San Remo to Cape Paterson with the remaining 8km coastal trail route yet to be determined given the sensitivities of the coastline,” Ms Crugnale said.

It comes as the area’s population is expected to rise by 22.23 per cent in the next decade meaning more people will travel on the only road connecting the towns.

“Cape-Paterson-Inverloch Road is used by car, trucks, buses and cyclists, but it’s the recreational cyclists who are at a big risk now,” Mr Wells said.

“If they’re going to spend millions of dollars on something it should benefit the greater majority not just the 10s that would use the pathway.

“The triple bottom line of putting the money into the coastal walk would be astronomical.”

Council was contacted for comment.