1.The drawing is inadequate and lacks detail. The Beach design should be more sensitive to the environment. 2.The proposed shared trail/entry point will encroach up to 9 meters onto the sand which is the narrowest sandy area on the beach.

3. The proposed trail will cut into the exiting grassed mound which a major feature with users and should be retained. This has taken decades to evolve and will be difficult to recreate.

4.Pedestrians and cyclists should be separated and leave the existing path for the pedestrians and make the Esplanade one way to enable the creation of a dedicated bike lane.. Reduce the speed on the Esplanade to 30/40 kph.

4. The plan is the overworked with lots of concrete and structures and should be more sensitive to the environment and the simple beach experience that people seek on an everyday basis.

The Esplanade near Pier street, Bent & Davies street is not subject to sea water splashing over the wall as the depth of sand from the shoreline is extensive on the beach even in a King tide. (This is different in parts of Seaholme for example.) As the water does not come IN from the sea, I am extremely concerned therefore that closing the seawall around Pier, Bent and Davies St will lead to creating a bathtub situation after heavy rain, and especially if there is a high tide, as stormwater drainage is extra slow at those times, taking days in some cases due to poor drainage. When flooding occurs at those times, bad as it is, the water can seep back over the sand in these areas (through gaps in the sea wall) to assist somewhat with drainage - to go back to the sea through the sand.

Even if preparing for a seawater rise of 20cm, this seems not enough that it would come over the sand near Bent street and Pier street as the sand is substantial in these areas.

The only way to get this water to drain is to improve the drainage system , which has progressively declined in effectiveness since around the year 2000 . At that time major works took away the storm water drained (to the sea) at Davies street and apparently channeled the flow to the Bayview street drain to the sea.

Even in light rain on Saturday 22 August 2020 (yesterday) see photo, water is not draining as it should; there should not be a delay in draining after persistent light rain at low tide.

Different parts along the foreshore have different needs as far as drainage and sea wall closures go. This low laying area around Pier Street to Davies Street will be worse if the sea wall is blocked and closed. I do sincerely hope that flood modelling will be thorough and explained to local residents if there are to be new systems implemented. It is our house insurance that is at stake, and every time it floods, there is more subsidence in the structures around the Esplanade. This will be the same for any new features that are built as part of the Altona Beach precinct update.

I attach photos here for reference of the way the water lays on the road after heavy rain and especially at times of King Tide. This water goes into our yard and under our house too, it does not go away for days.

Webb street topography is different to Pier street area. The sea is closer to the wall & the wind pushes the sea to the wall at a different angle. Here it is true that more retaining wall work is needed to stave off the sea from coming close to the road at certain tides.

Cycle paths - Separating cycle and walking paths is a good idea. Elderly people can loose balance very easily if a bike flies by too close at speed.

Thank you for your consideration to the liveability of my home, the Esplanade; improvements are not only of benefit to visitors to Altona but are of great value to a place I love.

There is insufficient information in the concept drawings to respond appropriately.

I am concerned about the proposal to widen this section of the shared trail from 2.5m to 6m - this is a significant increase, and significantly alters the available sand/beach area that can be accessed.

It would be helpful if Council were more transparent with regard to proposed expenditure vs benefit of such a project.

I live near Millers Road, and have observed many times that whenever there is a high tide combined with an onshore (e.g. southerly) wind, waves crash over the seawall between Seves St and Bayview St. Salt water & salt spray overlap onto the footpath and the roadway in this area. While stormwater drainage has been improved, further improvements are recommended in this area.

There is no "run up" on the seaward side of the Sea wall between Seves St. and Bayview St and any sand placed there gets badly eroded. Recommend that in addition to raising the sea wall between Bay View St. and Millers Road, Council should consider placing rockworks in front of the seawall (as has been done to the east of Millers Road), to help protect the sea wall, reduce sand erosion, and reduce waves crashing over the sea wall at high tide with onshore winds.

Keep upgrading the Seawall, the Pier, and beach access works!

Great to see investment here.

1. Slow the road as well and create safe pedestrian access to the shared trail. Please make the road a 30km road speed and add a zebra crossing with speed humps either side to access at Webb St. On popular beach days it is scary to try and cross the road- cars do not stop for pedestrians. This section is a narrow straightaway, where if cars are parked the traffic lanes narrow to one shared lane both directions. The slowing of the road will also allow more cyclists to use the road safely. To note, motorbikes and hoon drivers often speed through this section of road.

2. Create a barrier to the road. As noted above this is a narrow section and typically people don't park here until it is very busy as there cars are in danger of being hit by inattentive drivers. A buffer is needed to keep small children using the path away from the kerb/road and provide protection to all path users.

Obviously fully support further investment + upgrades to this area. Few comments on the proposal:

Moving the trail in front of the seawall (Webb - Sargood ST) - Ok but a physical barrier / grass or native planting separate / protect the pedestrians / young children from inadvertently wandering on the road.

Further measures need to be introduced to reduce the volume + speed of vehicle traffic along the Esplanade, like Zebra pedestrian crossings (raised if possible in consideration of the flood water impact?) across the road at each of the nine access points in conjunction with the proposed permanent closure between Pier / Bent St's. A 30kph speed limit would encourage traffic to the other major thoroughfares + greatly improve the safety of beach goers to access the beach facilities.

Increased number of rubbish / recycling bins to ensure people have no ridiculous excuse not to do the right thing with their trash or dogs poo.

The last image on the page shows ramps that are lower than the wall heaight, is it safe to assume that the top of the ramp is at the new mandated height?

If not you've just defined the ingress point for water under the circumstances these walls are being raised for.

I like this plan. Please ensure there are ample rubbish and recycling bins as this area gets litter

I am concerned that the new wider path is simply reproducing the problems that exist currently. Bikes and pedestrians need to be separated as they are in other bayside suburbs. The image on Twitter shows a cyclists show down stenciled on the path. This means the path isn't safe for all users. Why not have the bikes on one side and pedestrians on the other? Another option would be to make the Esplanade a one way street and reclaim the road for the community. COVID-19 has shown how much community space is needed.

Also it is very difficult to comment on these initial "designs" as there is insufficient detail.

It would be great to see these plans in more detail than the two concept drawings. As council won't review this again after these comments, it needs to be displayed in a detail that shows exactly how wide the path will be all the way along from Webb to McBain and how high the new sea wall will be.

The current concept drawings do not clearly show that the ramp and beach access at Sarros st will be removed. It also does not show what the plan will be for the grassed area where non sand beach users and kite surfers prepare to enter the water.

The new path will dramatically changes the access to the water and sand all the way from Webb St to McBain St and this plan does not show enough detail to ensure that community is fully informed of the changes.

would love to see this idea in perspective as a frequent walker with more lights it would be great for a new change that feels safe to walk at sunset or sunrise time as mentioned down in the comments also the wider footpath gives more space to those sharing it.

Thanks

Will improved lighting be installed on the seawall shared path? As a female walking along the shared path improved lighting will help with security & feeling safer in this area especially pre dawn & post dusk.

Is it possible to have a universal access mat from the new webb street ramp to the water to provide ease of use for all beach goers as well as access for kayaks/canoes/SUPs etc..

Altona has some amazing waters in this area for kayaking/canoeing, paddleboarding, and great fishing available to local kayak fishermen who prefer green methods of fishing to boating.

However with the changes to the Maidstone Street area (where Kayaks used to launch), the only non beach launching point is Millers road, which has limited parking, close to swimmers, jetskis and boats and is also several kilometres from the open bay waters of this side of Altona.

An access point away from the main swimming area at Webb street would provide a fantastic option for these activities.

I like the widening of the shared trail and agree with the earlier comments. Please ensure however that there will remain sufficient space on the beach between Sarros and McBain St for Kite launching and landing. It would also be beneficial to remove the shrubs growing on the waterfront as this disturbs wind and obstructs the beach view. Thanks!

Love all the upgrades done so far. Has anyone ever suggested an inbuilt pool (like the bondi beach ocean pool). That would be sensational!

love this idea!! would be great if the council can really consider it atleast a summer trial for the time being.

Thank you for your feedback.

Your suggestion for a beach pool has not been considered at Altona Beach but all feedback is welcomed.

However, Life Saving Victoria has been trialling portable inflatable swimming pools to provide the community with a safe environment to swim in open water. Council has been watching these trials with interest.

Thanks for the upgrades. It can get very busy along the esplanade with bikes sharing the path with walkers. Would be good to have a safer bike path along the road and/or more areas/bays where people can safely step off the main path to stop to look at the view/chat etc

Thanks for your feedback. Your comments regarding the need for safer on road cycle lanes along the Altona Foreshore have been passed on to Council's Integrated Transport Officer. Council has been upgrading beach access ramps along the Altona Foreshore to include viewing and resting platforms where pedestrians and cyclists can move off the shared trail to safely congregate and take in the views. It is Council's aim to have seven pedestrian and two maintenance vehicle beach access ramps along the Altona Foreshore.