Close Menu
  • Home
  • News
  • Sport
  • Entertainment
  • Local History
  • Contact Us
  • Advertise With Us
  • About Us
  • Subscribe
  • Read Our Newspapers Online
    • Read the Latest Western Port News
    • Read the Latest Mornington News
    • Read the Latest Southern Peninsula News
    • Read the Latest Frankston Times
    • Read the Latest Chelsea Mordialloc Mentone News
  • Competition
  • Home New
Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram
Wednesday, July 2
Breaking News
  • E-bike rider charged following fatal collision in Hastings
Facebook X (Twitter)
MPNEWSMPNEWS
  • Home
  • News
  • Sport
  • Entertainment
  • Local History
  • Contact Us
  • Advertise With Us
  • About Us
  • Subscribe
  • Home New
Breaking News
MPNEWSMPNEWS
Home»News»Beach box owners face tougher rules
News

Beach box owners face tougher rules

By Keith PlattApril 6, 2020Updated:April 8, 2020No Comments3 Mins Read
Share
Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Email

THE beach at Mount Martha north is quiet, even though there is no shortage of sand.

Beach box owners and other users of the leash-free area would normally be rejoicing, but the beach – shown as Hawker Beach on Marine Safety Victoria charts – remains partially closed.

The loss of sand of sand at the beach has long been a sore point of contention between beach users, Mornington Peninsula Shire and the Department of Land, Water and Planning.

With the shire and the government agreeing to only barricade the base of the cliff to lessen the chance of a major landslip affecting the Esplanade, Flinders MP Greg Hunt stepped in last year with a $1.5 million pre-May election offer to bring sand to the eroded beach from Mount Martha south (“Lifeline for Mt Martha North beach” The News 11/11/19).

The money does not seem to be required at the moment, but the beach was one of those closed by the shire in a bid to minimise the spread of the coronavirus, COVID-19 (“Shire closes bay beaches indefinitely” The News 31/3/20).

The beaches have now been partially reopened, but for exercise only; groups of people remain banned and social distancing rules apply.

While the sand issue may have taken care of itself, hundreds of beach box owners are facing tougher rules from the shire.

Proposed changes to the shire’s 20-year-old Boatshed and Bathing Box Policy include:

  • A ban on any more beach boxes to be built and no increase in size for existing structures;
  • Licence holders must have public liability insurance of $20 million;
  • Licensees limited to having one beach box;
  • Existing water and sewerage connections must be disconnected;
  • Graffiti must be removed within 14 days (or earlier if offensive);
  • If licences are surrendered to council the bathing box will be demolished and the site opened for the public;
  • The shire can sell licences cancelled through non-compliance with regulations.

The shire manages and leases out the sites of about 820 beach boxes along the Port Phillip coastline, 700 on Crown land and the rest on land owned by council, road reserves or abutting foreshore areas managed by council.

The remaining beach boxes are at Dromana, Capel Sound and Whitecliffs-Camerons Bight, where shire regulations do not apply, are managed by foreshore management committees.

The shire managed beach boxes are at Mornington (Fishermans, Mills, Scout,  and Shire Hall beaches; Mt Eliza (Canadian Bay, Daveys Bay, Earimil North, Earimil South, Moondah, Ranelagh and Sunnyside); Mount Martha (Mount Martha North and South, Craigie, Hawker Fishermans and Shelley beaches); Portsea, Capel Sound, McCrae, Rosebud, Rye and Safety Beach.

A draft of the proposed bathing box policy was deferred (along with several other items including continued leasing of a “satellite” Melbourne office) when the shire cancelled its Tuesday 24 March meeting because of safety concerns surrounding the spread of COVID-19.

However, if eventually approved by councillors, the draft bathing box policy will be exhibited for public comment for six weeks.

First published in the Southern Peninsula News – 7 April 2020

Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Email

Related Posts

Railway station scam

July 1, 2025

Flinders result unaffected by poll blunder – AEC

July 1, 2025

Grand Hotel’s tower revamp signals new chapter for icon

June 26, 2025

McCrae telco tower refused over visual impact

June 26, 2025
Add A Comment

Comments are closed.

Peninsula Essence Magazine – Click to Read
Peninsula Kids Magazine – Click to Read
Letters to the Editor
Property of the Week

14 Bass Street, McCrae

June 3, 2025
Council Watch

Shire secures $3.9m to tackle road safety

June 16, 2025

Kinder flyer flag snub prompts councillors to take over

June 10, 2025
100 Years Ago This Week

Baxter – On The ‘Wallaby’ with a walking group

July 1, 2025
Interview

Firefighter shows skills from sea to snow

February 5, 2024
Menu
  • Home
  • News
  • Sport
  • Entertainment
  • Local History
  • Contact Us
  • Advertise With Us
  • About Us
  • Subscribe
  • Home New
About

Established in 2006, Mornington Peninsula News Group (MPNG) is a locally owned and operated, independent media company.

MPNG publishes five weekly community newspapers: the Western Port News, Mornington News, Southern Peninsula News, Frankston Times and Chelsea Mordialloc Mentone News.

MPNG also publishes two glossy magazines: Peninsula Essence and Peninsula Kids.

Facebook X (Twitter)
© 2025 Mornington Peninsula News Group.

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.