BASS Coast Shire Council’s latest response to calls for urgent action to stop erosion at Inverloch surf beach is utterly inadequate.

I was shocked to see that while some councillors were falling over each other in the rush to congratulate officers for the reports being produced, all councillors seem to have missed the fact that they have been sold a pup in the response to the call for urgent action.

The Council report is largely a regurgitation of DEECA’s C2CRP talkfest. And the officers’ recommendation to Council was so tepid that Cr. Tim O’Brien offered a stronger recommendation, which was unanimously supported by councillors.

As I read it, Council’s major plan now is for the Mayor and Deputy Mayor to meet with the minister, and to press him to build bigger sandcastles more quickly.

And then there’s “dune stabilisation” To suggest that planting native vegetation will stabilise the dunes is preposterous.

Are councillors and CEO Greg Box blind to the amount of mature vegetation that has been washed aside in recent years?

Or are they simply willing to continue throwing good money after bad by squandering yet more hard-earned ratepayer monies on ineffective solutions to the problem?

Despite the report advising that the extension of the Geobag wall in front of the surf club would cost $350K - $450K, our councillors are not pushing for it to be included in the budget! Why not? That is a trifling amount in the scheme of things.

The simple reality is that a seawall needs to be constructed urgently as a last line of defence to stop the erosion devouring more of the foreshore and consuming the Inverloch SLSC clubhouse and subsequently the houses and other assets in the areas around Surf Parade.

Good grief Councillors!

Kevin Griffin, Inverloch/Wonthaggi