THE Minister for Environment, Minister for Tourism, Sport and Major Events, Minister for Outdoor Recreation Steve Dimopoulos has joined with the Member for Bass Jordan Crugnale in announcing that additional funding has been approved for coastal erosion works at Inverloch, Silverleaves and Tooradin with Silverleaves 'the first cab off the rank'.
Details this stage are sketchy but a spokesperson for the Silverleaves coast action group Natalie Gray said today the news is welcome.
"The key will be how much. We had a quote that the initial works (geotextile bags) would cost $500,000 but because they have left it so long, they are going to have to do some temporary work before Easter. We haven't seen the design of either of those projects nor the amount of money that has been allocated."
Bass Coast Mayor Cr Rochelle Halstead has also welcomed the announcement.
“We are so thankful to Jordan Crugnale (Member for Bass) for her advocacy, and the Minister – it is going to take a lot of anxiety out of our community,” Bass Coast Shire Mayor Rochelle Halstead said.
“We look forward to the work happening as quickly as possible.”
Ms Crugnale and Minister Dimopoulos made the announcement on Friday via Facebook.
Here's the transcript:
Jordan Crugnale: Hi, my name is Jordan Crugnale. I'm your local State Member for Bass, and I'm here with the minister, the Environment Minister, Steve Dimopoulos, and we've got some very good news for Inverloch Silverleaves on the Bass Coast and Tooradin in the City of Casey.
Steve Dimopoulos: Thanks, Jordan. Jordan and I are here at Parliament House in Melbourne, and we're announcing that we're going to do really important Coast mitigation works to make sure our beaches and our coastal areas are safe and accessible for everyone. Jordan, you've been amazing keeping me and the government abreast of the community's concerns on this. That's why we're going to step in now and Silverleaves will be the first cab off the rank, making sure our coastal areas are supported, safe and accessible for all locals and everybody in fact
Jordan Crugnale: A big shout out to our community, to DECA and to our respective Councils.
Steve Dimopoulos: And to you too Jordan.
Statement from Bass Coast Shire Council Friday evening:
Urgent coastal protection works will commence in Silverleaves and Inverloch following an announcement by Minister for Environment, The Hon Steve Dimopoulos and Jordan Crugnale MP this morning.
In Silverleaves, emergency dune and asset protection work will begin immediately and are set for completion before the Easter high tides. A geotextile bag wall, designed to provide long-term erosion protection, is expected to be installed by the end of August.
In Inverloch, designs aimed at enhancing protection and safe access for the Surf Club are expected to be finalised by the end of September.
Bass Coast Mayor, Cr Rochelle Halstead, welcomed the investment.
“This funding is a vital step in protecting our coastline and ensuring the safety of our community. Coastal erosion is a significant issue, and we are pleased to see the Victorian Government taking action. We would encourage the Government to prioritise the important strategic work underway – and release the Cape to Cape Resilience Plan and commit to a plan for Western Port."
"The current weather events in Queensland and northern New South Wales are a timely reminder of the importance of this work for our communities. We look forward to work starting these urgent works as soon as possible,” Cr Halstead said.
Further details will be provided by the Victorian Government next week.
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More to come