Conservationist: Wayne Brissett with a sign promoting environmentally sensitive treatment of sand dunes along 13th Beach Rd.
By Michelle Herbison
A working group to decide the future of 13th Beach Rd has come under fire for failing to include environmentalists.
13th Beach Conservation Group’s Wayne Brissett said Barwon Coast Committee of Management failed to invite environmentalists onto the group.
Barwon Coast formed the working group last month with members from State Government and council authorities as well as cycling lobby group Bike Safe and Barwon Heads Association.
Barwon Coast said the group would investigate seven options for the road:
• leaving it unchanged;
• adding bicycle lanes either side;
• adding a “bicycle corridor” on one
side;
• allowing one-way traffic only;
• installing speed bumps,
• closing the road to through-traffic;
• sealing road shoulders on both
sides.
Mr Brissett, a road designer with experience at Vicroads and councils, said any widening would “visually destroy” the area and damage sand dunes, flora and fauna.
Widening the road by three metres would affect three times the same area of dunes, he said.
“If you take into consideration the cutting into the sand dunes, the actual area impacted between Bluff Rd and Black Rock would be the size of 100 house blocks of land.”
Mr Brissett said Barwon Coast had failed to provide data proving the road was unsafe.
“It’s a narrow road but you’ve got to go on factual data, not just hearsay.”
Mr Brissett has previously criticised the bid to upgrade the road, earlier this year accusing Barwon Coast of “sham” consultations.
Barwon Coast’s Bob Jordan said he wanted the road’s safety problems addressed to avoid a serious accident.
“I hate the concept that we need to wait until someone’s killed on the road until we start trying to do something about road safety,” he said.
“We’re suggesting there are safer ways of getting people to the beaches.”
Mr Jordan said Barwon Coast would ensure the working group had a “huge amount” of environmental consideration.
“You can’t do anything on 13th Beach Rd which doesn’t have an environmental impact on the sand dunes.
“It’s about finding a way of addressing the safety issues and also taking all other considerations into account.”
The Independent has been reporting Barwon Coast’s attempts to improve 13th Beach access for safety reasons since 2007.
The initial plans, for a 1.8km boardwalk on the south side of the road, were shelved amid environmental concerns.
Lifesavers resumed the push in 2008, fearing a traffic fatality as more motorists, pedestrians and cyclists used the road.
In 2009 Mr Jordan told the Independent Barwon Coast was investigating development of paths on the northern side of the road to create “safe passage for surfers, cyclists and pedestrians”.
The Independent revealed the new plans for walking and cycling paths to the beach through dunes in 2010.
But the project stalled again this year amid environmental concerns, criticisms of the consultation process and calls for any upgrade to include bicycle lanes.
