a race against time

If you speak to local people in Inverloch, they will tell you that coastal erosion is not a new phenomenon in the area. It’s something that has always occurred but the extent of the encroachment on the town’s surf beach and foreshore in recent times has accelerated the level of concern amongst many residents.

Sections of the iconic surf beach that were once hidden from view from nearby roads by sand dune buffers can now be clearly seen. Significant stretches of dunes and vegetation have been lost and several access paths to the beach have disappeared. Temporary relief provided previously by sand renourishment and sand bagging has failed to properly stem the tide, and finding a more permanent solution is now imperative. with first-hand knowledge of the erosion issues impacting on the coastline in the area. renourishment, but ultimately when that can no longer cope, we go through an adapt and retreat process where the shoreline is realigned. the sea) and a sand covered rock revetment similar to that installed in Apollo Bay.

Local people have started to take notice in greater numbers due to a combination of factors. Storm surges at the beginning of last Spring had a significant effect. Those severe weather events coincided closely in timing with the Victorian State Government Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action’s release of a draft version of its Cape to Cape Resilience Plan in August.

High profile speakers included triple Olympic gold medallist and five-time world champion rower, Drew Ginn, who has strong ties to the region and frequently rides the waves at the Inverloch surf beach. Newly elected Bass Coast Shire Mayor, Rochelle Halstead also addressed the rally, as did another interested observer, Victorian Opposition Leader, Brad Battin.

Alarmed local groups highlighted that significant sand dune loss, as much as 80 metres in the past 15 years in some sections, has placed the surf club building and many nearby houses, roads and infrastructure including sewer pipes and telecommunications cables at serious risk from further encroachment.

Inverloch Tourism Association President, Glenn Morris, a qualified engineer who was one of the speakers that addressed the beach rally, says the local groups are closely aligned in their views and agree that the State Government holds the key on this vitally important issue.

“I think the Council is right to not expect to be footing the bill for everything. We need a financial commitment from the State Government and a willingness from them to do more,” he says.

“The Cape to Cape Resilience Plan proposes ‘retreat’ as the ultimate mechanism (once the dune construction protection work can no longer protect against rising sea levels) for adapting to future higher sea levels. This proposal is recommended partly taking into account community surveys that found community desire to preserve a sandy beach in Inverloch as well as significant capital costs of ‘hard engineering’ protection measures.

Sand renourishment works are scheduled to be undertaken at Inverloch this Spring, but the local groups have real concerns that this previously tried measure will prove ineffective.

The tabling of the project’s current intended strategy for the stretch of coastline from Cape Paterson to Cape Liptrap has raised unanswered questions which have also intensified the focus on the issue amongst the general population in the area.

Former Victorian Liberal Party Leader and longtime local resident, Alan Brown was the driving force behind the establishment of the Inverloch Foreshore Action Group late last year and the convenor of a public rally held on the beach in front of the Inverloch Surf Life Saving Club on Sunday, 5th February, Approximately 700 people were in attendance as a show of support for the need for action and to hear from representatives of local groups

“The Cape to Cape Resilience Report pathway forward to 2100 when they pathway DEECA is recommending beach is that they protection works involving dune

“I have undertaken a preliminary assessment on the capital cost of retreat without accounting for any landowner compensation. Retreat will involve full clearing of lands which will be inundated by rising sea levels and includes removal of up to 250 house buildings, utility infrastructure, roadways/ footpaths and the Surf Life Saving Club assets. It will not be a cheap option. would argue that when the dune construction works are no longer effective then at that point in time, we should be looking at other protection options rather than going straight to retreat. We should not be locked into a retreat solution until a comparison against other protection options is undertaken.”

Potential alternative long-term solution options to help reduce the effects of wave energy that are either being trialled or used with success in other coastline areas in different parts of Australia include submerged artificial reefs; groynes (which are rock or solid barriers jutting from the shoreline into

Seeking to communicate directly at the coalface with the key decision maker, the Inverloch Tourism Association has combined with the Inverloch Surf Life Saving Club, South Gippsland Conservation Society and some community members to form a separate group under the banner of the Inverloch Coastal Advisory Network (I*CAN) solely for the purpose of interfacing with DEECA.

Pleasingly, DEECA has been receptive to I*CAN’s approaches and engagement has already commenced, with both parties coming to the table to discuss a wide range of agenda topics around the issue which will hopefully lead to positive outcomes.

DEECA’s Cape to Cape Resilience Project Update document published in August last year states that “adaption pathways will be continuously refined, updated, and implemented as new information, knowledge, and community aspirations emerge.”

Based on the changing climatic conditions which led to the severe and prolonged storm surge last Spring, in the opinion of the local groups it seems that a trigger point has already been reached which warrants a rethink on the nature and timing of the planned protection works. »

Local views

Representatives of some of the interested groups with strong local connections provide their summarised insights into the major points of concern.

Glenn Morris

President, Inverloch Tourism Association

Glenn first purchased a holiday home in Inverloch more than 20 years ago and moved permanently to the town in 2023.

“The erosion started really getting noticeable back in 2012. The South Gippsland Conservation Society were the first ones to fly the flag and say something’s wrong. They started monitoring the beach and a bit of lobbying commenced back then,” he says.

“For those of us that walk the beach we’ve seen things happening in the last four years that have really got us concerned and it’s not slowing down. The erosion has definitely become more noticeable to the public over the last twelve months because of the recent storm surges. What we experienced last year was a significant storm surge lasting over four consecutive days, something very unusual for Inverloch and highlighted the risks posed by the changing climate.”

Several aspects of the Cape to Cape Resilience Report concern Glenn, including his belief that the findings and recommendations within it are based on information gathered two years ago which in some instances has become outdated.

“The trigger point mechanisms for 2040 have already been reached which should mean that we have a right to either bring forward work or review the pathway they’ve put forward right now,” he asserts.

“We also have concerns that the initial dune construction works are significantly under-funded with no commitment from State Government to contribute funds for ensuring the recommended fullscale works are carried out in Spring. We currently only have enough funding commitment for about fifty per cent of the works to be built.

“Finally, re-engaging with the community is needed to properly establish community tolerance to alternative protection options such as submerged artificial reefs and rock revetments. All in all, many questions need answering.

“We would like to think we get a thorough review of all options, and we’ve called for that privately in our engagement with DEECA through the I*CAN group. The community needs to understand all the pros and cons in order to have a serious, informed debate about what is the right way forward. In the past, don’t think the community has been properly consulted or asked what they really value about the beach.”

Glenn says all the local groups are united in their belief that urgent action is required.

“The Inverloch Tourism Association’s overarching concern is the long- some form of hard engineering works on the beach foreshore near Ozone Street and also to save the surf club nearby. Another area of the coastline that needs to be addressed as a priority in our view is the point we refer to as the Bunurong Road corner near where Surf Parade meets the Cape Paterson-Inverloch Road.” term future of the township being preserved because a loss of our key tourism asset of the beach will see the town’s economic well-being placed in real jeopardy. The beach is Inverloch’s prime natural asset and the key driver of our tourism, so the stakes are extremely high. It is the whole community and township at risk here,” he insists.

Kim says that cool heads and logic are needed in lobbying the relevant authorities around the issues at hand.

“We’ve got to work harmoniously with all parties,” he observes.

Kim White Chairman, Inverloch Foreshore Action Group

Kim purchased a property in Inverloch in 2012 and relocated permanently from Melbourne in 2020.

“Part of the interesting dynamic in Inverloch is that the town has a lot of locals who are of a very long standing, some around fifty to seventy years, or who have been here their entire life. The comment these people invariably make is that the beach has always ebbed and flowed but this latest iteration has been somewhat different from the past to the extent that it has encroached towards the road and near the surf club,” he asserts.

“At the end of Ozone Street where it intersects with Surf Parade there used to be two big sandhills between the road and the beach, but now they are gone, and you can see right through from the road to the water. There is an urgent requirement for ideally communication and uplift in the relationship with Bass Coast Shire since the new council was elected in November, a change which he hopes will lead to constructive developments going forward.

According to Kim, the Inverloch Foreshore Action Group is not in favour of relying only on a sand renourishment and revegetation solution.

“That’s been tried here previously and has failed. To do it again would be tantamount to just setting up for failure again,” he argues.

“Alan Brown started the thought process and did that initial hard work in getting others on board to get the conversation started. The rally was an important starting point as a call to action, and in taking the next steps forward, we have organised our activity as a group to ensure we move forward in a cohesive, structured way to advocate whilst also remaining non-political.”

Kim acknowledges that there has been an encouraging strengthening in the lines of

“We acknowledge there is no perfect solution but it’s about considering all options and identifying what will work best for this community in the long term. We want to know what can be done and what it will cost.”

Anyone interested in adding their support to the Inverloch Foreshore Action Group can connect via its Facebook page, which currently has over 660 members. »

Glenn Arnold & Steve Duncan President and Treasurer, Inverloch Surf Life Saving Club

With membership numbers currently over 1000, the Inverloch Surf Life Saving Club has been a hugely significant part of the local community for the past 26 years and its present clubhouse was built in 2010.

However, advancing erosion has placed it in a perilous position. Approximately 80 metres of sand dune loss since the clubhouse was constructed has exposed the building to serious risk. The ISLSC has had to move the location of its patrol tower observation platforms eight times since 2010 due to storm surge events.

In September last year, the club’s President, Glenn Arnold and Treasurer, Steve Duncan made a presentation on behalf of the club at an Upper House enquiry into the environmental impacts of climate change.

“As a result, National Party MP, Melina Bath approached us and indicated she’d be happy to support further parliamentary action on our issue if we could get 2,500 signatures showing people’s concerns,” Steve says.

“We were able to present her with 3,000 signatures within three days expressing the community’s concerns about the need for urgent action to preserve the clubrooms. We see ourselves as the first in line and if we go then everything else behind is going to follow.”

Steve also believes that DEECA’s Cape to Cape Resilience Report poses more questions than it answers.

“As part of the adapt and retreat philosophy they seem to believe the community want and have based their strategy around, they have earmarked our clubrooms for relocation in 2040 along with other infrastructure also starting to move in that same timeframe,” he notes.

“This report has taken four years to produce and is still only in draft format. The storm surge event last year has basically brought forward the trigger points that they were talking about for 2040 to now, so their strategy needs to be urgently updated to reflect the changed conditions and latest information, not relying on data that has already become obsolete.”

ISLSC President, Glenn Arnold was also amongst the speakers at the beach rally on 5th February.

“Our club is under significant threat. If no action is taken, then within the next four to six months the next spring tides could cause irreversible damage to this vital community facility,” he warns.

“Losing our club would mean losing the critical services and activities we provide.”

Glenn describes the ISLSC as a cornerstone of Inverloch.

“This club is more than a facilityit’s a training ground for essential life-saving skills, community building, leadership and personal development. From Nippers learning water safety to adults mastering search-and-rescue techniques, the knowledge and experience gained here ripple out into the wider community,” he says.

Glenn notes that the ISLSC is part of the whole Bass Coast life saving arrangement and the distance between it and the next two big clubs – Venus Bay and Cape Paterson – is significant.

“We’re covering quite a big area and there’s nowhere else for us to go along the coastline here,” he says.

“The downside of losing a facility like ours would be massive, and all anecdotal evidence indicates that the cost of saving the club would far outweigh the cost of letting it go. The impact it would have on the members and all the vital work that we do would be immense.”

The ISLSC is instrumental in saving the lives of people in the water every year. Now the time has come for the club and others to rescue it. gl Inverloch Surf Life

Wonthaggi Coal Mine Caf

& CORPORATE FUNCTIONS