Fences for risky sites

Council votes to fence off sites identified as ‘extreme risk’

CLARENCE City Council will redirect funding to build fences at two sites that have been identified as being an extreme safety risk.

Council last night voted unanimously to install fences near cliffs at Anzac Park in Lindisfarne and the second bluff at Wentworth Park in Bellerive.

A council report says the estimated cost for fencing at Anzac Park was $60,000 and $40,000 at Wentworth Park.

CLARENCE City Council will redirect funding to build fences at two sites that have been identified as being an extreme safety risk.

Council last night voted unanimously to install fences near cliffs at Anzac Park in Lindisfarne and the second bluff at Wentworth Park in Bellerive.

In July, it was revealed the Kingborough Council would compulsorily acquire land surrounding the Blowhole in Blackmans Bay — almost 2½ years after a teen fell to her death at the site.

Maggie Lore climbed the low fence at the Blowhole and slipped, falling on to rocks in January, 2017.

Since then there had been calls for the council to make the area safer.

Clarence City Council has recently turned its attention to similar potential risk sites.

The council’s insurer, Jardine Lloyd Thompson, made cliff top risk assessments at six sites in the municipality – Wentworth Park (Second Bluff) Bellerive; Anzac Park Lindisfarne; Kangaroo Bay Park, Rosny; Montagu Bay Primary School foreshore trail and reserve; Waverley Flora and Fauna Park, Mornington; and Clarence Mountain Bike Park, Mornington.

Anzac and Wentworth parks were assessed as having an extreme risk rating, while the remainder were assessed as a high risk.

“At this stage, the primary focus is upon the Anzac Park and Wentworth Park (Second Bluff) sites due to their ‘extreme’ risk ratings,” last night’s council agenda read.

“It is recommended that these risks are mitigated as soon as possible and that the necessary budget adjustments are made to facilitate these works.”

To fund the fences, aldermen voted to reallocate left over funds from recently completed projects as well as deferring a couple of projects from the passive recreation capital budget that had been planned for next financial year.

The total available funding through the reallocations would be just over $100,000.

The council report says the estimated cost for fencing at Anzac Park was $60,000 and $40,000 at Wentworth Park.