The initial consultation period for the Altona Beach Entry Project has now closed. Thank you to everyone who contributed to this process. Your feedback is now being collated. To received updates on this project click the follow button at the top of the screen.

As part of Council's ongoing commitment to protecting the Altona foreshore from the effects of climate change and sea level rise, our seawalls need to be raised to a height of 2.4AHD. This reflects an approximate rise of 20 centimetres, or comparatively, the height of an existing bluestone brick along the seawall at the bottom end of Pier Street.

Currently, there is no pedestrian entry through the seawall to the main swimming beach at the bottom of Pier Street. People who choose to access the beach at this location do so by stepping over the existing seawall. Once the seawalls are raised, access to the beach by this method will be more difficult. To allow for ongoing access to the beach consistent with other entry points along the foreshore, Council is proposing to design a beach entry to go up and over the seawall.

The bottom end of Pier Street is a busy section of the foreshore, stretching from Bent Street and the recently constructed vehicle access ramp to Sargood Street. This section of the foreshore is the major congregation point for beach goers in Altona. Alongside this, the lifesaving club operates an important service to the community with a patrolled beach on the eastern side of the pier. In this location the Hobsons Bay Coastal Trail runs directly behind the seawall, providing a three meter wide space catering for pedestrian and cycling traffic that then intermingles with people congregating around the entry to the beach and the Altona Pier.

You can view what we heard from the July / August 2020 consultation here or by accessing the document library to the right of your screen.

This project will finalise the concept plan once detailed drawings of the Esplanade and the Altona Pier designs have been completed.

What is Council hoping to achieve with the Altona Beach Entry?

Council is proposing to create a space that will accommodate:

• the coastal trail users
• a place for people to congregate off the sand
• inclusion of operational components of the lifesaving club including storage in the tower
• public showers for removal of sand
• public toilets
• more seating
• shade provision
• a better connection to the pier
• a focus on removing pedestrians away from the road, which provides better safety options for pedestrians

Improvements associated with the new beach entry will extend from the new vehicle access ramp at Bent Street through to Sargood Street.

Concept plans for the beach entry can be viewed in the Document Library on the right of this screen.

Council is also aware that Parks Victoria is looking to upgrade the Altona Pier in the near future and is consulting with the community separately on the options developed. To provide your feedback on the Parks Victoria Altona Pier Consultation click here or follow the Altona Pier redevelopment tile on the main project page.

The final concept for the Altona Beach Entry is dependent on the outcome of the Esplanade closure. If the Esplanade is closed permanently, access to the beach entry will integrate with the proposed pedestrian plaza, creating a seamless interface from Weaver Reserve through to the beach. If the Esplanade is closed only during the warmer months, or not at all, then the beach entry will remain a stand along feature similar to other access points along the foreshore.