A SECTION of the historic Beleura Cliff Path in Mornington will finally reopen to the public in early December for the first time in two years after landslips created a safety risk to walkers.
Mornington Peninsula Shire announced it would reopen the top section of the 102-year-old walking route, which hugs the cliffs between Mills Beach and Caraar Creek Lane overlooking Port Phillip Bay. Its reopening marks the return of a beloved attraction, much to the relief of residents who have campaigned tirelessly to save the path since its closure, with many having expressed frustrations that the delay was unnecessarily long.
“In response to community feedback, we recently completed a risk assessment of the current condition of this section,” the shire said in a statement on November 21. “It confirmed the top section of the path as far as the lookout could be accessed safely. The path beyond the lookout will remain closed as it is still unsafe for people to use.
Contractors are expected to be on-site on 25 November, weather permitting, to begin work on new fencing and signage. The shire said it would update nearby residents on progress and “ask everyone to stay away from the path until this essential safety work is complete”.
Mayor Anthony Marsh said he was pleased to share the good news of the iconic path’s reopening. “This path holds a special place in the hearts of many of us and has been an iconic Peninsula destination for more than 100 years,” he said. “Thank you for your ongoing patience as we work to reopen the top section of the path. If all goes according to plan, this section will reopen in early December. “We know how important the path is to our community and are committed to advocating for state government funding to repair and reopen the entire path.”
Peter Nicholson of the Save Beleura Cliff Path group welcomed the news, maintaining that the path was an asset not a liability after it was first “cut with a pick and shovel” in 1922. “It’s a really good move by the shire but having said that there was no reason all along why it couldn’t be done right from the start,” he told The News.
Nicholson said while the shire’s announcement was “a step in the right direction”, he added the whole path could be reopened by adding “little goat tracks around the two landslips” with temporary fencing. “There’s absolutely no reason, from a safety point of view, if they were to open those sections of the path with nice little goat tracks just a few metres back from the slips so it’s safe. “It’s not a permanent fix but it’s just to make it safe to walk on.”
Nicholson said the shire had argued on many occasions that they “haven’t got any money” but couldn’t understand why money was wasted installing CCTV to monitor people entering the fenced-off path. “It was terribly expensive and then they found it was terribly difficult to monitor,” he said.
The shire said it had been working closely with the Beleura Cliff Path community group to advocate for state government funding to repair and reopen the remainder of the path. “We are currently awaiting a response to our recent letter to the Minister for Environment, The Hon Steve Dimopoulos.”
First published in the Mornington News – 26 November 2024
