THEIR SIDE OF THE BAY

But without early intervention, it was possible it would not be long before Point Lonsdale’s beaches suffered the same fate as Portsea’s and became seriously eroded, he said.

Erosion damage to the Point Lonsdale front beach was already visible, with dredging of the Rip some time ago possibly to blame, Mr Grant said.

“Even though at the time people said (the dredging) would have no impact, the impact is evident and it will continue,” he said.

“It is very obvious that the erosion is occurring, you just need to walk around the beaches to see it.”

Point Lonsdale resident James Cotton, who is working to save the Point Lonsdale front beach, said the Bellarine Peninsula beach had receded 10 to 20m in the past 10 years, compared with the 30m it had reportedly receded in Portsea.

Mr Cotton said that tourists and Melburnians were not visiting the area as often, saying the poor beach conditions were a likely contributor.

“Tourism is lacking as a result of the front beach — it’s no longer as usable as it used to be,” he said.

The Borough of Queenscliffe was aware of the damage that had been happening at the beach, and along with the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning and the State Government, had been monitoring and tending to the beach in alignment with statewide operations, Mr Cotton said.

However, at this stage no substantial long-term measures had been put in place or were being undertaken.

Mr Grant said it was vital to protect the integrity of the Point Lonsdale front beach.

“At the end of the day, the beach has got to be retained and it is going to be a challenge,” he said.