In seven years of campaigning for measures to protect the Carrum foreshore, Cameron Howe has never seen erosion as bad as in the past six months.

“On multiple occasions the northern section of Carrum Beach has been completely inundated by the incoming tide, which has resulted in infrastructure being undermined, including the foundations of a now removed timber ramp and the sea wall itself,” Cameron says.

“The images of the tide lapping at the base of the sea wall are a timely reminder that, like Portsea, Carrum too requires a beach renourishment management plan to continually address the constant battle against nature.”

Cameron says Kingston City Council’s foreshore co-ordinator, Adam Ryan, described Carrum as “one of the most dynamic beaches he oversees” when the pair met to discuss the problem of erosion on the foreshore.  “The fragile dune system is what ultimately protects the beach and reduces sand movement, and while the City of Kingston has been active with revegetation programs, the constant wave action caused by prevailing westerly winds can quickly undo these efforts. 

“The nearby Patterson River requires regular dredging to maintain a safe entrance, and fortunately this also allows the City of Kingston to collaborate with Parks Victoria to strategically place the dredged sand, which is often pumped on to either Bonbeach or Carrum.”

Recently Cameron and the Carrum and Patterson Lakes Forum sought to raise the issue through local media, councillors and MPs, and six months ago the State Government announced $4.8 million to renourish beaches including Carrum, Frankston South and Sorrento West on top of annual monitoring.