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Two metres of dune has disappeared in recent weeks at Kilcunda.
THE costs and complexities of dealing with coastal erosion continue to mount for Bass Coast Shire Council.
Fresh from dealing with the closure of the Bunurong road at Inverloch, the council has announced emergency works to reroute part of the Bass Coast Rail Trail near Kilcunda.
The section of the trail is located behind the Lionel Rose carpark between the Kilcunda Cemetery and the Bourne Creek Trestle Bridge.
The closure will be in place from Wednesday, 26 August indefinitely. Council is currently investigating options to re-route the trail.
Fresh from dealing with the closure of the Bunurong road at Inverloch, the council has announced emergency works to reroute part of the Bass Coast Rail Trail near Kilcunda.
The section of the trail is located behind the Lionel Rose carpark between the Kilcunda Cemetery and the Bourne Creek Trestle Bridge.
The closure will be in place from Wednesday, 26 August indefinitely. Council is currently investigating options to re-route the trail.
This stretch of coastline has been experiencing significant erosion for some time. In December last year, the beach access at this same location was closed and temporary fencing erected because of erosion and now recent weather conditions has accelerated the erosion with a further two metres of the dune being washed away.
As a result, the edge of the trail is now significantly closer to the erosion point. While the trail remains open at present, conditions have reached a stage where Council needs to plan for its closure to ensure the ongoing safety of trail users
Bass Coast Mayor Brett Tessari said they had hoped the closure was a bit further off.
“Coastal erosion and the effects of climate change have been battering our region, and this is just another example of it.
“It’s disappointing that we have to take this kind of action, it was only a few weeks ago that I was out there looking at the erosion and to see it accelerate so quickly is shocking.”
A detour via the staircase to the Lionel Rose car park is suitable for pedestrians but cyclists will need to turn around.
Source: Bass Coast Shire Council
As a result, the edge of the trail is now significantly closer to the erosion point. While the trail remains open at present, conditions have reached a stage where Council needs to plan for its closure to ensure the ongoing safety of trail users
Bass Coast Mayor Brett Tessari said they had hoped the closure was a bit further off.
“Coastal erosion and the effects of climate change have been battering our region, and this is just another example of it.
“It’s disappointing that we have to take this kind of action, it was only a few weeks ago that I was out there looking at the erosion and to see it accelerate so quickly is shocking.”
A detour via the staircase to the Lionel Rose car park is suitable for pedestrians but cyclists will need to turn around.
Source: Bass Coast Shire Council
years ago.
The long shore drift of sand in this area has been affected by the placement of rocks and concrete and the usage of marram grass to bind the dunes.
Once again we see what the effects of human interference has on nature.
Inverloch's battle with coastal inundation is a classic example of this.
In Kilcunda's case ,the original landscape needs to be reinstated with the removal of the railway embankment from the Cemetery to the Viaduct bridge and allowance made for the perineal to flow when activated out to the ocean.
Unfortunately there has been limited consultation with the local community as seems to be the norm in such cases.