THE Victorian Government has announced that it is finally ready to release its long-awaited Cape to Cape Resilience Plan, looking at the impacts of erosion along the coast from Cape Paterson to Cape Liptrap, with special emphasis on the widely-known problems at Inverloch.
The Minister for Environment Steve Dimopoulos and Member for Bass Jordan Crugnale announced on Friday, August 16 that the draft plan will soon be available on Engage Vic website and that community consultation will be open from Friday, August 23 to Sunday, September 22.
Bass MP Jordan Crugnale is encouraging everyone to participate in the consultation and share their feedback on the plan.
In a statement on Friday, Ms Crugnale said the coastline between Cape Paterson and Cape Liptrap has faced significant erosion in recent years, putting local assets, infrastructure and cherished community values at risk.
“We have combined the latest science, technical assessments and community aspirations to develop a Community Resilience plan, so our Bass Coast and South Gippsland coastal communities have all the information to best protect what we love about where we live,” Ms Crugnale said.
“Our coastline is dynamic and reshaping due to winds, waves, tides, currents and climate change. We completed Stage 1 back in 2022 with the release of the summary reports, maps, causes, predictions, possible actions to address, adapt and manage places and assets.
“I want to take this opportunity to thank the many community members that have been involved and inputted into the draft plan as to all the agencies and the DEECA team and encourage everyone to participate and feedback into the draft plan.”
As background, Ms Crugnale said the Inverloch Regional and Strategic Partnership (RaSP), which has the lead on the Cape to Cape Resilience Project, is a collection of 10 agencies including Parks Victoria, local councils, South Gippsland Water, Traditional Owners and other coastal land managers that is working with the community to deliver the draft Cape to Cape Resilience Project.
“Developed over nearly three years, the plan is the result of extensive collaboration with local residents, business owners, tourists, environmental and community groups to create a strategic roadmap for building the resilience of coastal areas across Inverloch, Venus Bay and Anderson Inlet,” Ms Crugnale said.
“This innovative coastal adaptation project brings together scientific research, technical assessments and community priorities to assesses current conditions and predict future changes - including rising sea levels, coastal flooding and erosion between Cape Paterson to Cape Liptrap.”
Delayed response
In the past week, Bass Coast Councillor, Leticia Laing, in her capacity as a candidate for the October council elections has been critical of the delays in releasing the final report.
“Back in 2019 the State Government told us they would be delivering the Cape to Cape Plan in about 12 months. Four years on, the community has yet to see an exposure draft and all the work has ground to the halt,” Cr Laing said in a statement to the Sentinel-Times last week.
Cr Laing said another series of storm surges in June has “continued to erode the Inverloch foreshore” claims she says were backed up by recent drone monitoring from local citizen scientists.
“Levels adjacent to the Wave Street access track are more than one metre lower than they were at the time of the March surveys by the South Gippsland Conservation Society team trained by Griffith University Centre for Coastal Management,” Cr Laing said.
Less than a week later comes news that the draft report will soon be published on the Engage Vic website.
Ms Crugnale said the consultation process gives community the opportunity to consider a number of options, ranging from dune and vegetation restoration to major engineering initiatives such as beach renourishment and structures to reduce the impact of coastal hazard risks.
“Since 2014, the Labor Government has invested more than $140 million in marine and coastal environmental projects to help ensure the future health of Victoria’s cherished coastal areas.”
Consultation will be open from Friday, August 23 to Sunday, September 22, for more information visit HERE.