DELWP reneges on releasing hazard assessment reports

ACTION on Inverloch’s beach erosion problems has potentially been delayed again after the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning decided not to release “the full suite of Stage 1 Reports” from the Cape to Cape Resilience Project as promised.

The reports, some of which, including a key report by noted geomorphologist Neville Rosengren, detailing the vulnerability of the coast, were completed, with significant community input, more than 12 months ago.

Prior to the Victorian State Election, the Inverloch Regional and Strategic Partnership (Inverloch RaSP), the first to be created under the Marine and Coastal Act 2018, provided summaries of some of the reports from Stage 1 of the project, “to help communicate the key work and findings of the project”, which they released on October 12.

At the same time, the Inverloch RaSP and DELWP provided a full list of the reports that had been developed, promising these more detailed reports would be “released soon”.

But, the state election intervened, and the project group opted to hold back on the reports, although their release clearly did not compromise the requirements of the Caretaker provisions.

Here’s what a spokesperson for the management team said on November 4, 2022:

“As you know, the government is now in caretaker period so we are limited in what we can share at this time. The intention now is for the reports to be released as soon as possible after the incoming government is sworn into office.”

Now DELWP and the project group are saying “the full suite of Stage 1 Reports is expected to be released in early 2023”.

“Expected”, meaning “regarded as likely; anticipated” but no guarantees.

“In early 2023”, meaning it could be any time between January and June 2023.

So, reports, detailing remedial action to be taken to protect Inverloch from further erosion, storm surges and ultimately sea-level rise, that were to be made available in mid-August 2022, may not be available now until well into 2023, if at all.

Local community groups, including the South Gippsland Conservation Society, say that while they are pleased the project team is continuing on with Stage 2 of their assessment work, the community has a right to see the full suite of Stage 1 reports and to see progress made on the adaption actions proposed, before it is too late, for example, for vulnerable old coastal banksias, especially in the Flat Rocks area.

The hazard assessments technical reports developed in Stage 1, but not yet released, include:

• Inverloch Region Coastal Hazard Assessment by Water Technology - Comprising seven reports, including an executive summary, with a total of 776 pages including appendices.
• Report 1: Inverloch Region Coastal Hazard Assessment: Project Summary Report
• Report 2: Inverloch Region Coastal Hazard Assessment: Data Assimilation and Gap Analysis
• Report 3: Inverloch Region Coastal Hazard Assessment: Technical Methodology
• Report 4: Inverloch Region Coastal Hazard Assessment – Coastal Processes and Erosion Hazards
• Report 5: Inverloch Region Coastal Hazard Assessment – Inundation Hazards
• Report 6: Inverloch Region Coastal Hazard Assessment – Asset Exposure Assessment
• Report 7: Inverloch Region Coastal Hazard Assessment – Adaptation Action Technical Assessment
• Inverloch Region Coastal Hazard Assessment – Coastal Geomorphology (Appendix 3 to Report 4).

Additional reports for the project, comprising another 268 pages in total, are:

• Community Values Study (released in December 2021) (Alluvium)
• Community Engagement: Adaptation Actions Report from the second phase of engagement in April 2022 (released August 2022) (Alluvium)
• Risk and Vulnerability Report (Alluvium)
• Adaptation Framework Summary Paper (Alluvium)
• Economics Assessment and Case Studies (Alluvium and Natural Capital Economics).
• Cultural Values Assessment (Bunurong Land Council Aboriginal Corporation (copyright and not for public release).

When these reports will be released, and why they are being held back, is anyone’s guess.

The reports have clearly been completed, and presumably ticked off for release, but it appears one of the groups or individuals in their final approval have second-guessed their release.

Formally gazetted on August 6, 2020, the Inverloch RaSP brings together Traditional Owners with nine agencies (listed below), each with a role in the management of coastal and foreshore values, assets and infrastructure around Inverloch.

“Together they have committed to working collaboratively on long term strategies in response to the issues of erosion and inundation facing the Inverloch community, now and into the future.”

The traditional owners are represented by the Bunurong Land Council Aboriginal Corporation Registered Aboriginal Party. The Traditional Owner responsible for representing Bunurong community and protecting cultural and heritage values.

The nine other agencies are:

• Department of Environment, Land, Water, and Planning (Lead partner agency)
• Bass Coast Shire Council (Local government authority and land manager for parts of the affected coast)
• Department of Transport (Manager of adjacent land and infrastructure affected by erosion)
• Gippsland Ports (Anderson Inlet waterway manager)
• Heritage Victoria (Manager of non-Indigenous heritage places including the historic shipwreck Amazon 1863)
• Parks Victoria (Local land manager for parts of affected coast)
• South Gippsland Shire Council (Local government authority and land manager for parts of affected coast)
• South Gippsland Water (Manager of land and infrastructure affected by erosion)
• West Gippsland Catchment Management Authority (Agency responsible for providing coastal erosion advice under the Marine and Coastal Act 2018).

The Stage 1 summaries provide an assessment of the risk from erosion, storm surges, high tides and ultimately sea-level rise over time and propose a variety of remedial actions, all of which will require a considerable commitment of funds by Federal, State and Local Government.

The problem areas highlighted and actions proposed include:

• Bunurong Road (Cape Paterson-Inverloch Road - Flat Rocks to Wreck Creek): Bunurong Road is an important asset facilitating connection between Cape Paterson and Inverloch as well as to the many beaches, sites and properties accessed by the road. A multi criteria analysis (MCA) identified beach renourishment and seawalls as engineering adaptation options for this section of the coastline which scored well across the different criteria, and further technical feasibility assessments were completed for these options.
• Surf Beach: The Surf Beach dunes and beach were identified as important social assets to the community. The area behind the dunes has significant public utilities as well as private property. The MCA identified beach renourishment as the most appropriate engineering adaptation action for this location, with ongoing nourishment and management the best approach. In conjunction with beach nourishment, three ‘hard’ engineering options to retain nourished sand and reduce the need for constant beach management were assessed: a groyne field, a series of nearshore breakwaters, and a long groyne at Point Norman. The options were assessed due to good performance in the MCA and a high level of interest from the public regarding their feasibility.

The reports also detail the need for a planning response to the coastal erosion problems at Inverloch which, over time, could include restrictions being placed on future development and even withdrawal of assets and houses from affected areas.