Artificial reefs planned as eco-drawcard

SIX artificial reefs units are set to be installed off The Dell at Clifton Springs in May as part of a new eco-friendly marine attraction proposed for the region.

The reef units will host a range of native species, including mussels, seaweed and invertebrates, and is also expected to shield The Dell from erosion.

The City of Greater Geelong announced plans for the “sculptural wave attenuator” project in January, replacing its previous Sunken Gallery proposal.

The initial stage of the project is estimated to cost around $30,000, with council appointing Melbourne-based industrial designer Alex Goad to develop the attraction.

The City’s acting director of city services, Shaun Broadbent,

said after applying the final touches to the designs, Mr Goad was preparing to begin fabrication of the unit moulds later this week.

“This will be followed by a process of casting and curing the moulds, which will take several weeks,” Mr Broadbent said. “Once ready, the six units will be loaded onto a barge to transport them to the site, where they will be installed and anchored. This will need to be done when the weather is calm, and tide is high.”

If the first stage is successful, council said the project would be followed by more stages under a total budget of around $200,000.

The full array of the 24 wave attenuator modules are expected to be spread out across a 300sq m area providing both environmental and educational benefits.