Investigations and new designs to address the ongoing erosion of Lady Robinsons Beach will be launched following Bayside Council’s successful application to the State Government for funds for the project.
The funds will help the council study measures and produce designs needed to counter beach erosion and would be a step to applying for major State Government funding to tackle the problem in the future.
The Office of Environment and Heritage will give Bayside $210,500 for the project which will be matched by the council.
This follows a $245,000 grant from the OEH last month to undertake beach nourishment works within Ramsgate Baths which was also matched by the council.
The new grant will help the council undertake a survey along the beach and prepare detailed construction plans to address erosion.
Natural and man-made factors have caused ongoing erosion of Lady Robinsons Beach for more than 50 years.
Erosion has continued despite major restoration works in 1997 and 2006 costing more than $13 million, and involving construction of 13 groynes and the placement of 450,000 square-metres of sand.
Consultants engaged by the council in 2014 reviewed previous restoration measures carried out along Lady Robinson Beach and recommended a number of new measures to restore and stabilise the beach.
These measures included lengthening the existing groynes, building new groynes, upgrading rock retaining walls and replacing sand.
The OEH will require design and cost analysis of these strategies before the State Government would consider funding the works.
While it is a State Government responsibility as land-owner to provide funds for beach nourishment, the council has supported such works financially in the past to maintain public access to the beachfront.
Last month, several councillors called on the State Government to take more responsibility for damage caused by erosion and work with the council to fix groynes and build new groynes along the bay.
The beach erosion was described as an ongoing problem caused by government decisions including extending airport runways and dredging to deepen the port.
