The Allan Labor Government has spent half a million dollars on surveys, risk assessments, designs and funding agreements for the erosion problem at Loch Sport but delivered no physical action despite promising ‘immediate works’ more than two years ago.
The Nationals Member for Gippsland South Danny O’Brien said he had been working with the community for many years now to get action on erosion of the Lake Victoria foreshore and is frustrated at Labor’s dithering.
In response to a question on notice in State Parliament, Mr O’Brien has been advised that $400,000 allocated by the Government for works two years ago, has now become $500,000 and has been fully expended with zero physical work actually undertaken.
“The local community and I are fed up with ongoing reports, surveys and consultancies when everybody knows the solution to Loch Sport’s erosion problems is more groynes.
“The Government was clearly told this in 2022 when it released a key report on the erosion problem.
“That it is taken another two years and it has still not actually done any works on the ground is a disgrace. Instead we see items like $43,000 spent on a ‘landslide risk assessment’ for one of the sand dunes.
“The erosion on the Lake Victoria foreshore has now got so bad that the Seagull Drive boat ramp car park is being eaten away and a hare-brained idea to relocate the foreshore walking track has attracted scorn from locals.
“Current Minister for Environment, Steve Dimopoulos, has at least seen the problem first-hand and I’m optimistic he is trying to get action underway, but two years after former Minister Lily D’Ambrosio announced the $400,000 to ‘undertake immediate works’ nothing has been done.
“If we are to take the Government at its word we now have multiple options, assessments and detailed designs, including for groynes in the Seagull Drive and High Dune Bluff area but we haven’t got the money for it to actually happen.
“The time for talk, surveys, consultation and the like is over. We need action.”
“The Government has spent half a million dollars of taxpayers’ money and not done anything to fix the problem. They now need to get on with it and address this issue once and for all.”
The Nationals Member for Gippsland South, Danny O’Brien in front of encroaching erosion that has now impacted Loch Sport’s Seagull Drive boat ramp carpark.
BACKGROUND
Question on notice and answer from State Parliament: Question 1484 – Question on Notice (Questions on Notice) (parliament.vic.gov.au)
Danny O’Brien to ask the Minister for Environment —
With reference to the announcement in August 2022 by the former Minister for Environment and Climate Change of $400,000 to undertake immediate works to address public safety risk at Loch Sport due to erosion on the Lake Victoria foreshore:
(1) What is the breakdown of items or projects that money has been spent on.
(2) How much of that money remains unspent.
(3) When will the Government announce a preferred pathway for long-term adaptation as promised in that announcement.
Answer – 19 September 2024
1) The breakdown of costs at Loch Sport are as follows:
| Investigation & survey work including:
Sediment sampling, Coastal Acid Sulphate Soil (CASS), lidar survey, marine ecology survey, bathymetry for Seagull Drive and Geotechnical investigations Seagull Drive. |
$84,820.62 |
| Landslide risk assessment – High Dune Bluff | $43,361.80 |
| Options Assessments – High Dune Bluff and Seagull drive boat ramp car park protection | $9,438.14 |
| Detailed designs including:
Walking Path realignment, Seagull drive boat ramp groyne design, sand nourishment at High Dune Bluff |
$72,089.64 |
| Detailed groyne design including:
concept design, bathymetry & geotechnical survey High Dune Bluff |
$60,831.81 |
| Victorian Common Funding Agreement – Loch Sport Foreshore Committee of Management – Walking path realignment | $30,000 |
| Victorian Common Funding Agreement – Gippsland Ports – Seagull Drive Beneficial Sand re-use Loch Sport | $200,000 |
| TOTAL | $500,542.01 |
2) A total of $500,542.01 has been spent since the funding was announced.
3) Our current focus is to implement the immediate and short-term actions outlined in BMT’s 2022 Loch Sport Foreshore Coastal Processes and Options Assessment report.
This report was released at a community consultation event in October 2022 and outlined immediate, short-term, and medium-term recommendations.
Government priority is the implementation of the sand renourishment and groyne construction to mitigate immediate risks. Long-term adaptation planning will be considered alongside community and land manager consultation.
Thank you for raising this important matter with me.
Steve Dimopoulos MP
Minister for Environment