TREES brought down in the 29 October storms are still blocking public access steps to Daveys Bay Beach, Mount Eliza.
The trees were growing on private property, but the steps are on public land and maintained by Mornington Peninsula Shire.
Commodore of the Daveys Bay Yacht Club Leigh Cummin said club members had been given the use of a private access to the beach, but members of the public were struggling to climb over or through the fallen trees.
He said the steps had been blocked during one of the club’s busiest times with “hundreds of schoolchildren visiting for summer sailing programs”.
Mr Cummin said several trees had come down during the storm and that a survey would need to be done of the cliff before the steps could be repaired.
Cr Steve Holland said the clean-up by the shire after the shire “has not met community expectations and people are understandably frustrated”.
He said 64 per cent of the shire’s “programmed works” had been completed by late last week.
“The destruction of the Daveys Bay staircase is particularly disruptive,” Cr Holland said.
“I hope access is restored as soon as possible.
“I will continue to work within council to ensure resources are appropriately allocated to the services the community reasonably expects us to deliver in a timely fashion.”
The shire has been contacted for comment.
First published in the Mornington News – 15 February 2022
