Drone photos show the extent of the massive sandworks being carried out by Landshape Earthmoving & Excavations on the Inverloch foreshore. Photos: South Gippsland Conservation Society
By Catherine Watson
Council contractors are working against the clock to extend the sandbag wall on the Inverloch foreshore before the start of the holidays.
Funded by the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action (DEECA), the $700,000 project includes construction of about 110 metres of new sandbags to the east and west of the existing wall below the surf lifesaving clubhouse.
Work began in late November but will pause on December 18 for the summer holidays and restart in early February.
Council contractors are working against the clock to extend the sandbag wall on the Inverloch foreshore before the start of the holidays.
Funded by the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action (DEECA), the $700,000 project includes construction of about 110 metres of new sandbags to the east and west of the existing wall below the surf lifesaving clubhouse.
Work began in late November but will pause on December 18 for the summer holidays and restart in early February.
The council is working closely with the Inverloch Surf Life Saving Club to ensure the club can operate safely.
The beach access track at the Surf Life Saving Club is closed during the construction period but a temporary track has been established.
The project is a temporary measure to safeguard the clubhouse from ongoing wave erosion before a major dune reconstruction project scheduled to start in February. The sandbags will eventually be buried beneath the new dune.
The dune renourishment was originally scheduled to be completed before summer but will now start in late February and be finished by June 2026.
Philip Heath, who leads the Inverloch Coastal Resilience Project for the South Gippsland Conservation Society, said the delay was unfortunate.
"The extension of the sand bag wall is needed to protect the surf club, given the coastline recession that has continued over the past few years. However, the extension has the potential to accelerate dune erosion at either end, at least until the dune renourishment covers the bags."
And with more than 80% of the vegetated dunes having been swept away in the past 10 years, he said it was critical that works be completed within the revised schedule.
The beach access track at the Surf Life Saving Club is closed during the construction period but a temporary track has been established.
The project is a temporary measure to safeguard the clubhouse from ongoing wave erosion before a major dune reconstruction project scheduled to start in February. The sandbags will eventually be buried beneath the new dune.
The dune renourishment was originally scheduled to be completed before summer but will now start in late February and be finished by June 2026.
Philip Heath, who leads the Inverloch Coastal Resilience Project for the South Gippsland Conservation Society, said the delay was unfortunate.
"The extension of the sand bag wall is needed to protect the surf club, given the coastline recession that has continued over the past few years. However, the extension has the potential to accelerate dune erosion at either end, at least until the dune renourishment covers the bags."
And with more than 80% of the vegetated dunes having been swept away in the past 10 years, he said it was critical that works be completed within the revised schedule.
While the focus has been on the surf lifesaving clubhouse, a spring survey by the beach monitoring team revealed that dune recession continued along the full length of the Surf Beach.
The largest losses over the past 12 months occurring at Flat Rocks (3.6m), east of the Cape Paterson Road rock wall (10m) and adjacent to the Wave Street access track (14m since July 24).
Sand levels are particularly low offshore at the Flat Rocks end of the beach, as well as at Pt Norman, where the Sheep Rocks reef continues to be visible.
The low sand levels at Flat Rocks indicate that sand is moving east with long -shore drift, but not being replaced by sand from further offshore.
Mr Heath said the results demonstrated the need for renourishment of the Flat Rocks end of the Surf Beach, as envisaged in the draft Cape to Cape Resilience Plan.
The largest losses over the past 12 months occurring at Flat Rocks (3.6m), east of the Cape Paterson Road rock wall (10m) and adjacent to the Wave Street access track (14m since July 24).
Sand levels are particularly low offshore at the Flat Rocks end of the beach, as well as at Pt Norman, where the Sheep Rocks reef continues to be visible.
The low sand levels at Flat Rocks indicate that sand is moving east with long -shore drift, but not being replaced by sand from further offshore.
Mr Heath said the results demonstrated the need for renourishment of the Flat Rocks end of the Surf Beach, as envisaged in the draft Cape to Cape Resilience Plan.