REPURPOSED stairs have been installed at Shire Hall Beach in Mornington to restore safer access amid ongoing concerns of beach erosion.
The move comes after the loss of the original Shire Hall Beach stairs beside the car park – an issue that has frustrated many locals.
Mornington Peninsula Shire confirmed that while a long-term solution was still under way, routine maintenance on a nearby pathway created an opportunity to install the temporary stair structure.
“We know the loss of the Shire Hall Beach stairs beside the car park has been frustrating, and we’re continuing to work on a long-term fix,” a shire spokesperson said.
“In the meantime, during routine maintenance of a nearby path, we were able to install repurposed stairs to strengthen that route.
“This will keep the community safely connected to Shire Hall Beach while we investigate options for the main entry point.”
While the new stairs help reconnect visitors to the beach, some residents remain disappointed that they were needed in the first place. The beach’s former ramp, once a vital accessible entryway for people with disabilities and families with prams, was removed after shifting sands left it suspended dangerously above the ground.
Alannah Batho of the Save Shire Hall Beach campaign group welcomed the new stairs but said a continued loss of sand and significant damage to the sand dunes raised concerns about long-term environmental impacts and the safety of infrastructure along the foreshore.
“It is certainly great to see Mornington Shire do some work on Shire Hall Beach given the state of disrepair into which it has fallen over the last decade. We are grateful for all efforts to improve the amenity at Shire Hall given its prime location for tourists and locals alike,” she said.
“However, it is concerning that we continue to see a piecemeal and inadequate approach to the significant erosion and drainage problems occurring at Shire Hall Beach.
“The stairs replace a ramp which used to be level with the sand and allow access to the beach for people with disabilities and prams. The ramp had to be removed because the significant loss of sand meant it was sitting so far out of the sand that it was a hazard.
“We are also disappointed that the stairs leading from the car park that were removed as a result of a storm in November 2022 have yet to be replaced.”
Batho added the bitumen path, which had previously led to the ramp, also became a hazard as the sand continued to erode.
She said she would watch closely to see how long the new stairs remain useable given the continued erosion occurring at the beach.
Mornington Peninsula Shire deputy mayor Cr Paul Pingiaro said, “Great to see the new stairs being installed at Shire Hall Beach. With ongoing erosion and repeated infrastructure damage in this area, these works are a welcome and practical upgrade for the community”.
“Credit to council officers for the strong work currently underway across our coastline – the new retaining wall at Tanti Creek is another clear example of targeted improvements being delivered on the ground,” he said.
First published in the Mornington News – 3 February 2026