There are fears coastal erosion will inundate the Inverloch Surf Life Saving Club and nearby properties
Hundreds of people have rallied at the Inverloch Surf Life Saving Club to call on the Allan government to “act now” after years of planning and consultation.
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Coastal property owners southeast of Melbourne fear that the ocean will begin inundating private properties along the coastline and on Phillip Island this year, and warn that Victoria is losing its battle against coastal erosion.
Hundreds of worried Victorians gathered on Inverloch beach for a rally on Sunday, calling for the state government to “act now” after years of planning and consultation while beaches across the state have deteriorated and private land is now under threat.
People gathered at the Inverloch Surf Life Saving Club to call for a permanent engineering solution from the state government, after recent storm surges significantly damaged the beach and sand dunes.
A second rally is planned for Monday in Silverleaves on Phillip Island, where residents fear homes will start to be affected, among the first in Victoria, when the next king tides surge in April.
Residents of 25 years Ken Hailey told the Herald Sun that “backyards will be impacted this coming winter when storm activity picks up”.
“The longer we do nothing, the more it is going to cost,” he said.
“The government has been doing plans and consulting, but by the time anything happens, these properties will be inundated.
“Coastal erosion is the biggest sleeper issue of the next few years. I don’t know what we are going to do.”
He called for an erosion levy similar to the bushfire levy to be implemented to protect Victoria’s disappearing coastline.
The state government has been carrying out various studies in different areas along Victoria’s coastline and finding geotextile sandbags are helpful to protect against dramatic weather events in the interim.
But Nationals member for Eastern Victoria Melina Bath said engineering solutions needed to be implemented immediately.
“Inverloch and Silverleaves foreshore communities face the imminent danger of public and private assets being lost unless the state government works with the community and urgently funds short- and long-term mitigation infrastructure,” she said.
Liberal leader Brad Battin attended the rally on Sunday, saying the community is “rightfully concerned of erosion putting their lifesaving club, businesses, and homes at risk”.
“For a relatively small investment, Labor could protect this community; the issue is Labor has run out of money, and communities like this will pay the price,” Mr Battin said.
A Victorian government spokesperson said action was being taken on the issue.
“Several engineering approaches have been considered as part of The Cape to Cape Resilience plan, including beach nourishment, a rock groyne, rock revetment, and their feasibility and potential impacts.
“As the first adaptation action to be implemented, major beach nourishment and dune reconstruction works for the surf beach foreshore will start this year, with designs currently in the tender process.”
The sand renourishment works will be delivered in 2025, using a $3.3m grant from the commonwealth government’s Coastal and Estuarine Risk Mitigation Program.
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