The raised track beside the Barwon River Estuary at Ocean Grove serves as a flood defence for the Riverview Family Caravan Park, which hosts thousands of holidaymakers during peak periods, and some adjacent houses. However, like roads after heavy rain, the levee is prone to developing potholes from storm surges and high tides.
Barwon Coast Committee of Management chief executive Gareth Smith said small holes left unpatched could grow and compromise the levee’s structural integrity. A report released by Barwon Coast earlier this year identified the caravan park on the river’s eastern shore as a hotspot for coastal inundation. It found that the levee’s height varies by about half a metre between its lowest and highest points, and that it is already partially breached at low points.
The report forecasts the levee will be fully inundated by 2100 if sea level rise continues on its current trajectory. The Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action is now preparing to bolster the system. The $250,000 federal grant will fund a flood study and adaptation plan to inform the design of new flood mitigation infrastructure at the site.