Line in sand on dump

Kim Waters
A STATE Government plan to dump thousands of tonnes of quarried sand on Clifton Springs’ beach has alarmed residents, according to a community representative.
Drysdale Clifton Springs community association president Doug Carson said residents were in the dark on the “concerning” plan.
“My biggest worry is there has been no community input and it could just end up being a waste of time and money,” Mr Carson said.
“We’ve lost at least 50 to 100 metres of beach here in the past couple of years and something needs to be done about it but it needs to be a considered and studied process, not just a quick fix.
“I believe this sand is going to be taken from Gippsland and dumping sand from a source that far away could have really bad environmental impacts.”
The Independent reported in April that Bellarine Foreshore Committee of Management had received $80,000 from State Government to dump quarried sand on Portarlington’s main beach.
Residents and conservation experts feared the project was an “inappropriate fix” for the area even though it was “eroded beyond recognition”.
Geelong Environment Council president Joan Lindros accused Government of “clutching at straws”.
“We don’t need the government slapping a quick solution over a serious problem because in the long run it will fail,” she said.
Ms Lindros attributed the widespread erosion to increasingly severe storms on the Bellarine Peninsula.
“If the problem has been caused by unusually strong storms then dumping sand on the beach is only going to be a temporary fix and will just be washed away.”
Environment and Climate Change Minister Gavin Jennings announced a $6 million “enhancement program” this week to restore eroded beaches at Clifton Springs, Portarlington and Geelong.
Mr Jennings defended the project, saying it would
“revitalise” six Victorian beaches.
“The beaches around Port Phillip Bay and Corio Bay attract millions of visitors each year, which is why the Brumby Labor Government is taking action to ensure they remain attractive and functional for everyone to enjoy,” he said.
“Over the next two years they will receive tonnes of sand and have restoration and revegetation work done on them to bring them back to the high standard the community expects.”