THE Minister for Environment Steve Dimopoulos has handpassed the design and implementation of the East Cowes and Silverleaves Adaptation Plan to the Bass Coast Shire Council.

The sweetener is a $1.4 million grant to design an implementation response and to get the work done, ASAP according to local residents.

Louise Hill, President of the Silverleaves Conservation Association issued the following statement to members this week:

Dear SCA members, Jordan Crugnale, Member for Bass has sent the attached media release about the launch of the East Cowes and Silverleaves Adaptation Plan by the Minister for Environment Steve Dimopoulos today.

The Plan is live at engage.vic.gov.au/silverleaves-coastal-adaptation-pathways

The Government has also allocated an additional $1.4 million for the Bass Coast Shire Council to commence implementation of the plan, which is very welcome. Hopefully the Council will be able to get the tender for detailed design underway quickly and then move into construction before the winter period next year.

The Committee of the SCA is very relieved and grateful that the Adaptation Plan has now been released with funding for its implementation.  So many people from across the Silverleaves and broader Phillip Island community have worked so hard to bring awareness to the serious erosion of the Silverleaves foreshore and even though we would have appreciated a quicker response, it is heartening to finally have received such a positive response.

The Adaptation Plan provides a range of treatments for the Silverleaves coastline which include natural treatments of realignment of the coastline, restoration and revegetation of the dunes and engineered treatment of groynes in some sections. The Community Reference Group (which includes some SCA members) has been advised that there will be regular monitoring and that as the Plan describes, further treatments may be added in some areas if needed.

Ms Crugnale has welcomed the release of the report and the funding for its implementation.

“Victoria’s coastlines are facing significant challenges, we are tackling these challenges head-on with strategies to mitigate risks and ensure our communities and businesses are prepared for the future,” said Ms Crugnale.

“I want to thank community members and local residents for being active, involved, and passionate advocates outlining what they value most about this beautiful stretch of Westernport.”

View the East Cowes and Silverleaves Adaptation Plan (October 2025) HERE

What the plan says

The East Cowes and Silverleaves Adaptation Plan, prepared by Range Consulting Pty Ltd for the Victorian Department of Environment Energy and Climate Action, provides a summary about the coastal erosion work done to date, considers further the adaption options by breaking the coastal strip up into three sections: Section A (existing 1970s rock revetment), Section B (western Silverleaves) and Section C (eastern Silverleaves).

A multi-layered approach is proposed with all options on the table from monitoring, to repairs, dune nourishment works, and developing new natural and hard-engineering solutions, as well as future access and planning restrictions.

While the coastal erosion hazards are the main focus of the report, it also notes that “both temporary and permanent inundation hazards are present in all three Sections”.

“Section A has a small area of low-lying land near the shore at Coghlan Road that may be vulnerable to sea level rise (SLR) inundation beyond approximately 2070. This area is also predicted to be inundated during the 1% Annual Exceedance Probability (AEP) (100-year) event even at current sea levels.

“At Silverleaves, a significant portion of the land is subject to permanent inundation from SLR, even for the short-term planning horizons. Inundation hazards in this area, however, are primarily driven by landside flooding originating from Rhyll Inlet rather than coastal processes.

“Future sea levels in Rhyll Inlet are likely to flood land with low elevations that accumulated between successive spit formations towards the contemporary spit shoreline of Silverleaves.

“While this assessment focuses on addressing coastal flooding through protective measures, landside flooding risks require further studies to develop effective land-based flood management strategies. These strategies fall beyond the scope of this assessment but are critical for comprehensive risk mitigation and long-term resilience planning.”

It will now be up to the Bass Coast Shire Council to formulate an action plan and timeline for works but how far the $1.4 million grant from the State Government will stretch is anyone’s guess.

A spokesperson for Silverleaves residents, and a member of the reference group, Natalie Gray, has taken a positive approach to what is a comprehensive report on the issues at East Cowes and Silverleaves but has urged the council to get on with developing some of the property protection options outlined.

Adaption pathways

Here, in part, is what the report says about “adaption pathways” that is possible responses in the three sections of the coast east of Cowes:

· Section A (existing 1970s rock revetment) The preferred initial pathway for this Section of coast involves repairs of the current rock revetment structure and realignment near the eastern end. This will help stabilize the shoreline in the short term, as part of the present-day adaptation strategy to enhance resiliency. However, as sea levels rise and coastal conditions evolve, the effectiveness of this option in managing inundation and erosion will decrease. The indicative trigger for the next phase of intervention is a sea level rise of approximately 0.5 m or around the year 2070. The traditional revetment upgrade, dune, or minor repairs option could be implemented in combination with groynes and beach nourishment to improve beach amenity and resilience. However, groynes can significantly alter natural sand movement and, if not carefully designed, may reduce sediment transport to downstream beaches such as Silverleaves, increasing the risk of erosion in those areas.

· Section B (western Silverleaves) The initial course of action for this Section involves transitioning from the rock revetment at Section A to a low-crested rock structure that supports littoral vegetation, and dune reconstruction along the remaining shoreline of Section B to mitigate erosion. These actions will both involve beach nourishment (initially and as needed following monitoring) to enhance beach amenity and dune stability and provide space for littoral vegetation to migrate as sea levels rise. A small number of groynes may be required near the interface between the dune and rock sill to reduce the risk of terminal erosion at the transition zone. Beyond this, a broader groyne field could be considered as a complementary measure to further enhance beach amenity and improve dune resilience by retaining sand. The groyne field would however require regular monitoring and careful design to maintain sediment bypassing and avoid adverse downstream impacts at Silverleaves eastern beaches. The recommended first phase of the pathway for this Section includes a section of supported littoral vegetation, spanning 100 to 200 meters across the prominent erosion hotspot at Silverleaves, and dune reconstruction along the remaining shoreline of Section B.

·  Section C (eastern Silverleaves) The initial course of action for this Section involves regular monitoring of the shoreline, with future interventions considered based on observed conditions. Monitoring should be conducted along with other coastal management best practices including controlled access and vegetation protection/revegetation to help mitigate potential erosion. The preliminary trigger for the next decision for intervention is 2040 SLR (0.2 m SLR) or when a sustained 5-metre shoreline setback occurs, whichever comes first. As this area is highly dynamic, affected by both storm events and seasonal changes, continued monitoring will be critical to inform the timing and choice of intervention. If the supported littoral vegetation trial and dune reconstruction in Section B are successful, a similar approach using dune reconstruction and/or supported littoral vegetation can be considered for Section C in the future.