Furore over anti-erosion works at Dendy Street Beach

Work to stop erosion at one of Melbourne’s best-known beaches is being done on the cheap rather than what’s best for the tourist hotspot, lobbyists say.

Friends of the Brighton Dunes convener Jenny Talbot is concerned Bayside Council’s anti-erosion works will make things worse at Dendy Street Beach. Picture: Penny Stephens

Bayside Council is under fire for picking anti-erosion works based on price rather than what’s best for a popular beach, with one advocacy group saying the solution is “the beginning of the end” for the tourist spot.

Friends of the Brighton Dunes convener Jenny Talbot said the council was “blundering” into anti-erosion works at Dendy Street Beach and could make things worse at the popular spot.

Ms Talbot said the council’s sandbag solution — similar to what was done at Ricketts Point — was not the solution and would “probably worsen” the problem.

“The removal of sand from the north end of the beach to the south end, the digging of a large trench at the south end and filling it with sandbags, will not solve the erosion problem and will probably worsen it,” she said.

MORE BAYSIDE NEWS

COSTLY CLEAN-UP ORDERED FOR BRIGHTON BEACH

EPA RATES MELBOURNE’S BEST AND WORST BEACHES

PET INFECTION SPARKS BEACH WARNING

Ms Talbot suggested a permeable fence would be more effective.

University of Melbourne coastal geomorphologist Associate Professor David Kennedy said placing any structure on the beach, such as the sandbags, would have an impact on it.

“Their design is to stop sand removal at that site, but the underlying reason for sand removal is still there — function of the wave environment — so sand will still move,” he said.

Bayside Council’s sandbag anti-erosion solution at Ricketts Point.

Prof Kennedy said a fence would be a “softer solution”, which would allow the beach’s natural wave processes to work better.

Bayside Council environment, recreation and infrastructure director Steven White said the council had consulted with experts and the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning, and concluded the sandbag option would be the cheapest and most environmentally sensitive solution.

“The sand bags will allow vegetation to be planted on the surface and contain harvested clean sand from the northern section of the beach,” Mr White said.

“A similar method was used at Ricketts Point and we are confident that this is the best solution to preserve and conserve this vital natural asset so the foreshore can continue to be enjoyed for generations to come.”

But Ms Talbot said Dendy Street Beach was a very different kind of beach to the one at Ricketts Point and she feared the works would do more harm than good.

“Bayside Council is blundering into anti-erosion work … because of pressure to do something about erosion at the south end,” she said.

“It is truly the beginning of the end for this lovely little beach.”

Construction will start this month.