Seawall Safety Works will commence in Lakes Entrance immediately between the Footbridge and the Slip Way area.
Due to its location, infrastructure in marine and coastal environments has a limited life.
As such infrastructure such as pathways and seawalls are regularly audited. A recent audit of the seawalls in Lakes Entrance conducted jointly by East Gippsland Shire Council, the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning (DELWP) and Gippsland Ports identified some areas where the seawall degeneration was causing potential public risk.
One of the areas where the walls are not of a high standard is the area along the Esplanade between the Old Slipway and the footbridge.
East Gippsland Shire Council will therefore be undertaking some immediate works to stabilise the area and ensure it is ready for high use during the important summer tourism season. These works will commence on Monday, 14 November for up to five weeks.
Sections of the footpath and the adjacent car park will be closed for short periods. The works will be conducted using the Shire's works crew and every effort will be made to ensure that the disruption is minimised and the works are completed prior to the peak holiday season.
Another area of identified risk was the seawall and pathway on the western side of the Coastguard building. This area has been cordoned off and a temporary pathway constructed to ensure that pedestrians and cyclists can continue to move through this part of the foreshore.
This section of wall will not be replaced until after the summer, as the remediation works are more complex and there was uncertainty around whether the works could be completed prior to the busy tourist season. As there was an alternate path in place, it was considered better to delay the works than have this part of the foreshore dug up over summer.
More information will be provided to the community on these remediation works and potential designs as the design work progresses. DELWP has also closed a small section of seawall on Bullock Island for public risk reasons.
East Gippsland Shire Council will continue to keep the Lakes Entrance community updated on these works and is committed to working with the local community and businesses to ensure that Lakes Entrance is looking its best and is safe for the busy summer season ahead.
