I WAS staggered to see last week that the Inverloch Coastal Advisory Network (I*CAN) called for funding for a five-year plan to address the crisis of erosion at the Inverloch foreshore. The last thing we need is another woke, kick the can down the road no outcome expensive report.
The Victorian Labor Government has already wasted five years and come up with nothing even though the former Morrison Federal Government gave them a grant of $3.3 Million almost four years ago to address the crisis of erosion on the Inverloch foreshore. Almost five years ago, the State Labor Government established the Coast to Coast Resilience Project with a budget at that time exceeding one million dollars and a two year timeframe to report with recommendations to address the erosion crisis at Inverloch.
Now, almost five years later, following endless reports and now two million dollars wasted, still no report and the biggest worry for our community is the suggestion that retreat is now being actively considered. This outcome means long term, hundreds of Inverloch homes will be lost.
If their success to date is followed, their new five year plan proposal will take years longer to finalise. There are a couple of very good people on that committee but others seem more interested in protecting the Labor Government than our community.
The time for urgent action is now yet I am amazed that I*CAN has again stated they support the works the Government is about to undertake. To be clear, this is to place more sandbags around the front of Surf Lifesaving Clubhouse and pump up sand on the foreshore. Millions of dollars of unprotected sand destined to be washed away within a short space of time. This proposal is destined to be a scandalous waste of taxpayers hard earned money, yet I*CAN back it. That sand will all be lost within a short period of time and we know from what is happening in front of the clubhouse now, that the sand bags will start rotting away within five years.
On Sunday, January 5 this year, around 700 people attended a major public rally held on the beach in front of the Surf Lifesaving Clubhouse and voted unanimously for permanent protective works to be undertaken urgently to protect the Clubhouse, the road and restore and permanently protect and replant the dune formation. Simply put, put in permanent protective works first, then pump up the sand and replant the dunes.
Hundreds of homes are at risk if permanent protective works are not undertaken urgently and now is not the time for procrastination and further dithering as proposed by I*CAN. The time for urgent action is now.
Alan Brown, Wattle Bank
