Wyndham council has agreed to commit to a plan to secure funding for the Werribee South beach area and surrounds.
At the Tuesday 28 October council meeting, Cr Robert Szatkowski raised a notice of motion to apply for a state government grant to begin dune restoration works at Werribee South beach.
On top of entering a submission for an application to the Port Phillip Bay Fund, Cr Szatkowski also wanted council to commit $170,000 of its own cash to bolster the applications chances.
The money would come from the council’s strategic opportunities and discretionary grants matching allocation that exists in this year’s budget.
With planned stage one works to upgrade the beach estimated to cost $340,000, Cr Szatkowski said the development will stabilise and revegetate priority dune sections, improving coastal resilience and biodiversity.
Cr Szatkowski said bolstering dune systems is an important way to protect a variety of flora, fauna and public amenities.
“Because dune systems are natural infrastructure, they buffer storm surges, erosion, protect roads, paths and public assets and create habitat that makes the foreshore richer for people and wildlife,” he said.
“Together these coastal places attract over 200 visitors a year, a reminder that resilience here isn’t just environment– it’s social and economic, too.”
According to Cr Szatkowski, the motion and its objectives were practical and easily actionable for council officers.
“Our coastal assets are connected literally by people’s daily recreation and ecology, so resilience in one place helps the whole,” he said,
“On funding, the motion deliberately keeps it simple. No new money is sought tonight.
“We have seen in our bay record tidal levels, and if we experience them more frequently, having dune restoration and a stronger coastal infrastructure will ensure that we don’t actually get that erosion that other areas may get.”
He also said the project aligns with council’s adopted Werribee South Beach Master Plan, to which mayor Mia Shaw agreed and backed the motion.
“It is a very important part of the Werribee South Beach Master Plan and hopefully it gets support tonight, and I’m looking forward to seeing it come to fruition,” Cr Shaw said.
The motion was carried unanimously.
