New beach access springs up in time for summer

Jessica Benton
CLIFTON SPRINGS will have a new beach this summer after the completion of work on the town’s Dell foreshore area.
City Hall this week opened a new sealed pedestrian path to the beach to mark the finish of the upgrade project.
Ward councillor Tom O’Connor said residents now had safer access to the western part of the foreshore.
“The fences have been removed, so people can access the Dell,” he said.
“There’s new steps on the western side for foreshore access and there’s been an enormous amount of planting and revegetation work carried out.
“The whole place has just been cleaned up and revived. It looks great and there’s a good feel about it now.”
Cr O’Connor said the Dell had lost its “prison look”, with “ugly” fences no longer impeding bay views.
The project cost about $75,000, Cr O’Connor said.
The Independent reported in August that residents had finally won a battle with authorities to restore access to the beach below Edgewater Drive.
The beach area had been off limits since City of Greater Geelong deemed access steps unsafe and closed them almost four years ago.
Clifton Springs foreshore sub-committee member Linda Gallus welcomed the return of access to the beach.
“We’ve been waiting for five or six years and almost thought it would not reopen but here we are with regained beach access.”