HIGH tides leading up to the Easter weekend, and several king tides in early May, will test the success of construction work in the past few weeks to protect erosion hotspots along the Silverleaves foreshore, between Sanders Street and Coghlan Road.
Tide levels which will reach 2.91m, 2.95m, 2.95m, 2.91m and 2.83m in the afternoon and evenings between Wednesday, April 16 and Sunday, April 20 could have seen seawater breach the degraded dunes in this area if not for the placement of more than 500 rock bags at the 11th hour.
Higher tides still will return on Monday, April 28 through to Sunday, May 4 when the high water mark at the Cowes Jetty is set to go from 2.84m, to 3.06m and 3.20m in consecutive days, reaching a high of 3.24m at 3.36pm on Thursday, May 1 before easing back to 3.19m, 3.07m and 2.89m in following days.
These levels should be contained by the new rock bag wall but local residents will be taking a keen interest in what happens on either ends of the wall, especially if there is stormy weather accompanying the high tides.
The Bureau of Meteorology is predicting generally light winds during the April high tides leading up to Easter but we’ll have to wait and see what May will bring.
There have been a lot of people out following the progress of construction work at Silverleaves and also to see the end result, a rock bag wall stretching upwards of 165 metres along one of the most at-risk foreshore areas.
“It’s only supposed to be temporary, until they come up with a more permanent solution, but they’ve done such a good job that I could see them leaving it for quite a while,” said one nearby resident.
“I expect some of the sand will come in and cover at least the lower part of the rock bags and make it blend in a bit better,” said another.
“You can actually walk across the bags quite safely so I don’t think there will be a problem with access.”
Locals expect visitors to take quite a bit of interest in the new structure over the Easter weekend.
The rocks from Tynong were transported to Phillip Island, then bagged at Gap Road, before being lifted into place along the foreshore by heavy machinery. Residents say they now feel a lot safer.
These essential works, funded by DEECA, aim to protect the foreshore, beach, coastal vegetation, and infrastructure from further erosion.
Erosion at Silverleaves has increased over the past decade leading to a considerable loss of sand and coastal vegetation, including years old coastal banksias. To address this, DEECA has commissioned temporary erosion protection works.
While the rock bag wall shores up one part of Silverleaves, anxieties remain about property values following the refusal of some applications to build on the advice of Melbourne Water and other authorities.
A new data set, commissioned by the Climate Council, an independent, community-funded organisation that advocates for climate change solutions, and compiled by Climate Valuation, a private company that provides risk analysis to property owners, has listed a small numbert of Silverleaves’ in the high risk category.
The report states that 9.05% or 56 of 619 properties at Silverleaves are at risk of inundation.
The data seems to underscore decisions by council, supported by VCAT, but calculates the “hazards” based on standard home designs and materials including floors 50cm above ground level while suggesting that higher floor levels and other adaption policies might provide solutions in some areas.
Project Scope
The project has involved:
* Off-Site Preparation: Rock bags will be filled off-site before transportation to Silverleaves.
* On-Site Construction:
- A stepped rock bag wall, extending 150 metres eastward of existing rock wall.
- Protection of the toe line of the existing sand dunes to prevent further erosion.
- No native vegetation removal—only minor trimming may be required.
- Driftwood on the beach currently will be lifted up on to the dunes.
What the shire said
The Bass Coast Shire Council issued the following statement on Thursday, April 17 advising that “Temporary protection works have been completed at Silverleaves” as follows:
Immediate protection works have now been completed at Silverleaves to help manage the impacts of coastal erosion.
The works, which feature a 165-metre rock bag wall were completed just prior to Easter — a critical time when king tides are typically expected. The structure is designed to provide essential protection against coastal surges over the next 5–10 years and will bring reassurance to local residents concerned about ongoing erosion.
This initiative is part of the Victorian Government’s commitment, announced in March, to address erosion along some of the state’s most vulnerable coastlines, from Warrnambool to Lakes Entrance.
Bass Coast Shire Council has been working closely with the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action (DEECA) to understand and plan for coastal hazards at Silverleaves, both now and for the future.
Bass Coast Mayor, Cr Rochelle Halstead, said the works were an important step in protecting this unique and sensitive stretch of coastline.
“These protection works provide immediate support for the Silverleaves coastline, while we work with the community and the Victorian Government to plan for the long-term future,” Cr Halstead said.
“We know how important this area is to residents and visitors, and we’re committed to working together to find sustainable, evidence-based solutions. I know many residents will feel relieved to see these rock bags in place ahead of the king tide season.”
More information HERE
