In short:
Wyndham Council is seeking funding to restore and revegetate dunes at Werribee South Beach as part of a $340,000 project to strengthen coastal resilience and align with the Werribee South Beach Master Plan.
Coast Repairs Backed by Council
Wyndham Council has backed a plan to secure funding for dune restoration and environmental works at Werribee South Beach.
At the 28 October meeting, Councillor Robert Szatkowski successfully moved a notice of motion for Council to apply for a State Government grant through the Port Phillip Bay Fund, with the aim of starting stage one restoration works.
Cr Szatkowski also called for $170,000 from Council’s current budget to match the grant and strengthen the application, with the total cost of the first stage expected to reach $340,000.
He said the project would focus on stabilising and revegetating key dune sections to boost coastal resilience, biodiversity, and protection of public assets.
“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,” Cr Szatkowski said.
“Together these coastal places attract over 200 visitors a year, a reminder that resilience here isn’t just environmental – it’s social and economic, too.”
Cr Szatkowski said the proposal was practical and aligned closely with the Werribee South Beach Master Plan.
“Our coastal assets are connected literally by people’s daily recreation and ecology, so resilience in one place helps the whole,” he said.
Mayor Cr Mia Shaw supported the motion, adding that the project fits with Council’s long-term plans for the foreshore.
“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.
