Mornington electorate
Chris CREWTHER (Mornington) (14:39): (1303) My question is to the Minister for Environment. Will the minister outline plans to address severe coastal erosion in my electorate and across the Mornington Peninsula, particularly at locations like Mount Martha Beach North? This once iconic beach is vanishing, with the footings of many beach boxes now underwater, as shown on the Age’s front page this week. Experts warn it could be unrecognisable or gone entirely by 2040 without urgent action. Erosion has been accelerated by human intervention, including the 2008 Labor government’s dredging of the heads, rock placement, climate change and storms. Mount Martha North is a textbook example of how interrupting natural sand movement worsens erosion. Current changes and rock walls built to protect cliffs on the Esplanade have narrowed the foreshore and stripped sand offshore. Government reports confirm this. This is not just about beach boxes; it is about safety, amenity and the environment. That is why I established the coastal erosion working group. I yet again call on the government and the minister to urgently invest in solutions.