MAJOR CATASTROPHIC CLIFF COLLAPSES - PORT CAMPBELL

DEVELOPMENT WARNINGS

Overnight the Island Arch near Loch Ard Gorge collapsed. A few weeks ago an entire sea cavern catastrophically collapsed at the Bay of Islands. The fragility of the Port Campbell coastline is obvious.

This natural process can be hastened by human activity such as large excavations and building foundations near the cliffs.

Prominent geotechnical specialists have advised the Government that the proposed Southern Ocean Beach House’s overscale excavation and foundation near 4 major sea caverns is high risk and likely to accelerate collapse of the Port Campbell headland. They also warned of the high public risk and liability to public and private land.

If one of the larger caverns on the Port Campbell headland collapse, the Southern Ocean Beach House and the roadway and port will be unviable.

The Government’s own policies show that it is unwise to build large structures near these fragile cliffs. Landscape Setting Types for the Victorian Coast warns:

‘The fragility of this section of the coast is an important consideration in siting and managing tourist activity’
‘This area is of outstanding scenic quality and requires special landscape protection to ensure development does not impact on landscape values’
‘Special considerations’ include to ‘avoid any development at the cliff edge’.

http://www.vcc.vic.gov.au/landscape/type5.htm

A Parliamentary Select Committee and major environmental and heritage groups have also expressed concerns about the proposed Southern Ocean Beach House.

It’s time the Government halted the proposed Southern Ocean Beach House. Port Campbell heritage is at risk.

Contact: Dr Marion Manifold

Secretary

Port Campbell Community Group Inc. A0051688U

T: 55 931 932