Welcome to the
Silverleaves Conservation Association
We are a not-for-profit community group who love and cherish the unique environment of Silverleaves, Victoria.
Contact SCA: [email protected]
Contact SCA: [email protected]
Latest updates
Melina Bath MP
Member for Eastern Victorian Region
Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Education, Volunteers and Public Land Use
Melinda Bath MP spoke in parliament 26 November 2024 in regards to the Silverleaves foreshore erosion. Below is her contribution.
Silverleaves Beach, Cowes
Melina BATH (Eastern Victoria) (19:28): (1317)
My adjournment matter this evening is for the Minister for Environment, and it relates to a Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action funding commitment for the Cowes community.
Shoreline setback from coastal erosion has been heavily impacting the Silverleaves community at Cowes at an alarming rate.
A bird’s-eye view indicates that the shoreline has eroded at an accelerated rate in really the last two or three years of up to 8 metres a year.
There is a critical area, a stretch of about 2 kilometres from the Silverleaves coastline.
It starts west of Coghlan Road and it encompasses the east of Cowes beach at the sandy spit, extending to Observation Point.
Last week my colleague and the Shadow Minister for Water Tim McCurdy and I visited and spoke with residents Jude Doyle, Natalie Gray and Ken Hailey about the urgency of this situation.
We stood near one of the homes and saw how the erosion was just eating in and could certainly undermine homes and infrastructure there.
I was also contacted by Will Dwyer. Will is a member of the Silverleaves conservation society. They have been doing a power of work in collaboration with the department, but there is a significant urgency about protecting that shoreline.
The whole idea is urgent and immediate – it is called a geotextile revetment, and it is basically sandbagging the area. Clearly there needs to be a greater level of protective works, adaptation and protection, but at this point in time they are desperate because if these sandbags are not implemented by the end of summer, when we have got high tides in autumn and northerly gales in winter you are going to see some serious erosion of infrastructure and homes being taken away.
The government has made a commitment to implement this urgent action, but to date there has been no funding provided for this action.
A long-term adaptation pathway and coastal protection is required, and we see that across the coast. We see it also at Inverloch, along the Inverloch surf beach, unfortunately, that retreat is the option there, and that is not good enough.
The immediate action I ask is that the minister provide the funding for these geotextile sandbags and save this community.
Silverleaves Beach, Cowes
Melina BATH (Eastern Victoria) (19:28): (1317)
My adjournment matter this evening is for the Minister for Environment, and it relates to a Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action funding commitment for the Cowes community.
Shoreline setback from coastal erosion has been heavily impacting the Silverleaves community at Cowes at an alarming rate.
A bird’s-eye view indicates that the shoreline has eroded at an accelerated rate in really the last two or three years of up to 8 metres a year.
There is a critical area, a stretch of about 2 kilometres from the Silverleaves coastline.
It starts west of Coghlan Road and it encompasses the east of Cowes beach at the sandy spit, extending to Observation Point.
Last week my colleague and the Shadow Minister for Water Tim McCurdy and I visited and spoke with residents Jude Doyle, Natalie Gray and Ken Hailey about the urgency of this situation.
We stood near one of the homes and saw how the erosion was just eating in and could certainly undermine homes and infrastructure there.
I was also contacted by Will Dwyer. Will is a member of the Silverleaves conservation society. They have been doing a power of work in collaboration with the department, but there is a significant urgency about protecting that shoreline.
The whole idea is urgent and immediate – it is called a geotextile revetment, and it is basically sandbagging the area. Clearly there needs to be a greater level of protective works, adaptation and protection, but at this point in time they are desperate because if these sandbags are not implemented by the end of summer, when we have got high tides in autumn and northerly gales in winter you are going to see some serious erosion of infrastructure and homes being taken away.
The government has made a commitment to implement this urgent action, but to date there has been no funding provided for this action.
A long-term adaptation pathway and coastal protection is required, and we see that across the coast. We see it also at Inverloch, along the Inverloch surf beach, unfortunately, that retreat is the option there, and that is not good enough.
The immediate action I ask is that the minister provide the funding for these geotextile sandbags and save this community.
DEECA Interim Protection Works
DEECA has proposed interim protection works for Silverleaves. Please see the email below. There is also a document attached with a link to a video outlining how the works were selected and how they will be implimented.
Good afternoon,
This email is to provide an update on the interim protection works we have been exploring for the Silverleaves foreshore.
FSC Range have now developed designs and costings for these works while we continue with the adaptation planning. Andrew from FSC has put together a video presentation to explain this process and the preferred option, a geotextile revetment that can be modified, relocated or removed in the future to align with final adaptation options. Check out the video presentation for the full details.
We are continuing to seek funding for the revetment through grants and budget bids and we will keep the community updated as things progress.
For more information about the works to date, please see our most recent project update (attached).
You are receiving this email as you have been included on our mailing list for updates about Silverleaves. If you wish to have your email removed from our database or have general questions about this work, please reply to this email.
Kind regards,
DEECA Gippsland Coastal Projects Team
Gippsland Coastal Projects | Land & Built Environment | Gippsland
Regions, Environment, Climate Action and First Peoples | Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action
E: [email protected]
deeca.vic.gov.au
Good afternoon,
This email is to provide an update on the interim protection works we have been exploring for the Silverleaves foreshore.
FSC Range have now developed designs and costings for these works while we continue with the adaptation planning. Andrew from FSC has put together a video presentation to explain this process and the preferred option, a geotextile revetment that can be modified, relocated or removed in the future to align with final adaptation options. Check out the video presentation for the full details.
We are continuing to seek funding for the revetment through grants and budget bids and we will keep the community updated as things progress.
For more information about the works to date, please see our most recent project update (attached).
You are receiving this email as you have been included on our mailing list for updates about Silverleaves. If you wish to have your email removed from our database or have general questions about this work, please reply to this email.
Kind regards,
DEECA Gippsland Coastal Projects Team
Gippsland Coastal Projects | Land & Built Environment | Gippsland
Regions, Environment, Climate Action and First Peoples | Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action
E: [email protected]
deeca.vic.gov.au
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