Beach closed again

By Michelle Herbison
HEAVY rain has caused underlying erosion problems to resurface at Clifton Spring’s The Dell beach, forcing closure of some areas.
The closures have forced Drysdale Clifton Springs Community Association to postpone a community environment day for the second time this year.
Association secretary Patrick Hughes said was unable to spend $15,000 of Federal Government money to regenerate the area beneath a new lookout while The Dell was closed.
The community environment day planned for this week would have encouraged school children to help regenerate the area, reducing erosion risk, he said.
“The project was to plant native vegetation there to dissuade weeds, to make the place look nicer and to increase the ability of the soil to hold together. If we improve the environmental value of the place it will make it more attractive for people to visit.”
Mr Hughes said the land for regeneration was “steeply sloping”, requiring specialised equipment to regenerate.
The community involvement day would mark the start of the area’s regeneration.
“Some could be done on the flat and we want to see whether we can involve anybody other than abseiling experts,” Mr Hughes said.
The education day would have shown local school children how to upgrade an area “in an environmentally sensitive way”, he said.
“But now there’s a crack running all the way around The Dell and a chunk of land behind it may slip down, so it wouldn’t be a good idea to take 200 school kids down there.”
Mr Hughes worried the area could face long-term closure.
The Dell was shut to the public for six years until 2008 due to cracks in the cliffs.
City of Greater Geelong’s Rodney Thomas said council had engaged a geotechnical expert to closely monitor ground movement at The Dell.
It was a “known area of slope instability”, he said.
Mr Thomas said council this week had begun operating pumps at several sections of The Dell to lower ground water and reduce the chance of further movement.
The “several small sections” fenced off would remain closed to the public “for the present time”, he said.