Plan to ban selfie thrillseekers from cliffs at The Pillars, Mt Martha stalls
THIS Mt Martha cliff attracts thousands of thrillseekers every year who record themselves leaping into the bay, risking their lives and leaving behind trash. And the council is powerless to stop them.
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PLANS to ban beachgoers from The Pillars have stalled.
Mornington Peninsula Shire Council has voted to bring in a booze ban at the popular Mt Martha clifftop, but says it can’t fence off the area until it gets advice from the State Government.
The site swiftly rose to fame last summer via social media, attracting hordes of visitors parking illegally near the Esplanade site, along with serious concerns about traffic congestion, extreme littering, public drinking and offensive behaviour.
Angry locals in January told Leader cliff-jumpers were leaving behind mounds of rubbish including urine-filled bottles, used sanitary products and thousands of cigarette butts.
Authorities warned of the dangers, with one swimmer pulled unconscious from the water after striking a cliff while backflipping, and others injured from a jetski collision in the water below the cliff.
A six-month trial banning alcohol at The Pillars — which finished in April — restricted the consumption of alcohol but did not cover unopened liquor.
The council would have to amend its Consumption of Liquor Local Law to enforce the rules around unopened alcohol.
“Unfortunately there has been some inappropriate behaviour and alcohol consumption, significantly impacting on the sensitive site,” Mayor Bev Colomb said.
“Our role as the local council is to protect the safety of people and the amenity of our local residents.”
But Peta Donaldson said the alcohol ban would do nothing to regulate the number of people “flocking to the area and destroying it”.
“People who choose to litter will leave behind any bottle, be it water or alcohol,” she said. Meanwhile the council is still waiting for its plea to the State Government for advice on how to manage the site.
In January councillors voted to fence the site and employ an officer to explain to hopeful visitors the safety, environmental and cultural reasons for the decision.
Ms Donaldson said residents were told at the time that it could take up to six months for something to happen. “Clearly it takes longer.”
Last week a written statement from the council revealed that it was yet to received a response from the Minister for Energy, Environment and Climate Change Lily D’Ambrosio on the legal processes involved in fencing the site.
The Pillars area includes Aboriginal middens and artefacts and falls within the Aboriginal Heritage Act 2006.
The council also asked Aboriginal Affairs Victoria how to reinforce and protect the site’s heritage values.
The Leader sought comment from both Ms D’Ambrosio and Minister for Aboriginal Affairs Natalie Hutchins.