Meeting papers

Location
The current locations of most of the Eastern Beaches access points have been almost incidental to
other processes. For instance, stormwater easements and parks are often gazetted at the lowest
points as the area is developed to allow for drainage and stormwater discharge into nearby creeks
and natural areas. Beach accesses have later been constructed here as they are where roads are
connected to foreshore reserves. Beach accesses usually avoid permanently wet areas such as
wetlands. This has meant that many beach accesses are in low lying areas where stormwater and
standing water present design challenges.

The location and distance between beach accesses varies widely – in some areas the accesses
are often only 50 metres apart, in others, where access is restricted by David Low Way, coastal
creeks and gated communities, the accesses are very widely separated. Some residential areas,
particularly new developments, and some tourist hotspots may not be served well by current
pedestrian accessible beach accesses.

Some beach access locations cause problems - for instance a highly constructed beach access at
Marcus Beach is regularly cut off from the beach by the natural movement of a coastal creek. At
Burgess Creek where beach accesses are widely located to avoid a moving creek mouth and
steep slopes, residents are walking down a steep slope near the mouth of the creek and crossing
the creek to the beach. This foot traffic down a steep slope, coupled with high peak outflows from
the creek, is causing creekbank erosion and needs careful planning and design of nature-based
erosion management solutions including dune restoration and fencing.

Only a few beach accesses benefit from being readily observable or directly accessible from main
roads, which may mean these beach accesses also have pressures from heavy visitor and tourist
usage.


Signs
Each beach access is required to have a standard beach access sign at each end, with the beach
access number and basic beach safety information and contacts.

Many beach accesses have other information and interpretation signs at the entrances or nearby.
These have often been installed as part of a community or Council project. Sign design and
location standards will be included in the new beach access and community coastal infrastructure
design standards. This work is in progress.


Online information
Web based maps, reserve information and beach access information characteristics would help
wayfinding and navigation and help visitors and locals access the beach.


Beach access and community coastal infrastructure design standards
There are currently no criteria for public beach accesses or many other coastal community
infrastructure components. Developing design standards for beach accesses, beach access trail
heads and coastal community infrastructure is needed to identify and direct beach access
construction and management that allows safe and sustainable public access to the beach and
water while protecting the environment it sits in.


Beach access plan
An overarching plan for beach accesses and other community coastal infrastructure could help
define the best intervals and location that allows safe and sustainable public access with an
acceptable walking distance. An agreed inspection and upgrade schedule would help maintain the
beach accesses in a safe and environmentally sustainable condition and allow Council to respond


Eastern Beaches Foreshore Reserves Management Plan 2023                                    Page 49

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