Current Proposal

Just weeks before the Inquiry hearing in July 2008 the East Gippsland Shire Council (EGSC) presented new plans for an alternative access road along the beach, which is shown in the attached pdf, and now known as Option 3b.  View our page EES proposal to get details of why it is called Option 3.

In Option 3b the road is raised above the beach either on pylons, or on rock fill. Both designs include a suspended walkway on the seaward side. A concrete hardstand/turning circle will be constructed on the beach leading to the dual lane boat ramp.

The mockup below was produced by RushWright Landscape consultants.

The boat ramp will be sheltered by a breakwater constructed of 8,000 tonnes of imported rock approximately 130 metres long and 2.8 metres high. An estimated 3,250 cu. m. of rock will need to be removed to create a boating channel and a dredge will be required to remove the expected ongoing accumulation of sand at the entry to the facility.  The design includes a carpark design that extends further along Bastion Point Road and provides 60 car and boat bays, and removes the vegetation screening that was proposed in the previous Option 3.

Council decided that they preferred Option 3b just three weeks before the Inquiry Hearing, which the Panel Report labelled ‘design on the run’. Despite the the Inquiry Panel finding against all breakwater options presented in the EES,  this is the option that has been approved by Minister Madden and Council is progressing.

The aerial plan as presented just before the Inquiry is shown below – note that the breakwater isn’t shown, just the ‘boating channel’. Click on picture to enlarge.