Unauthorised excavator damages beach near Olivers Hill
In March, Neill said he would comply with a stop-work order issued by the city and eventually demolish the seawall in front of his $9.25 million home after public reaction to early work took him by surprise.
until July Age Frankston City Council has reportedly decided to take enforcement action against the unauthorized sea wall and send a formal legal letter to Neill.
Gene Neill’s seawall was further improved, despite the owner previously saying he would dismantle it.Credit: Joe Armao
But the wall was later upgraded with the addition of a new ramp and boulders, and the council refused to provide details on the status of enforcement proceedings.
“Given legal and privacy sensitivities, the council is unable to comment on individual properties or active compliance matters,” interim CEO Cam Arullanmatham said in a statement on Tuesday. he said.
A spokesman for DEECA, which owns the Crown land the council ultimately manages, similarly refused to comment further.
“Regarding the unauthorized seawall in the neighbourhood, DEECA is exploring enforcement options,” they said.
The wall first came to the council’s attention in February, and by the first weekend of March more than 50 people were reported to have complained to Frankston MP Paul Edbrooke’s office.
At the time, Neill defended the project’s progress by pointing to some neighbors’ long-standing walls.
“Everyone’s wall along the coast is illegal,” he said in March. “If they let everyone here do it, I should be able to do it too.”
He argued that it was very difficult to obtain government approval required under the Marine and Coastal Act.
A digger was seen behind a tree near Kackeraboite Creek Beach on Tuesday, but this tag cannot confirm that it was this machine that carried out unauthorized work on the public beach on Sunday.Credit: Joe Armao
Rising sea levels due to climate change are expected to worsen erosion and threaten homes in Port Phillip Bay in coming decades, increasing pressure to protect seaside infrastructure.
However, some locals, including Labor MP Paul Edbrooke, objected to the unauthorized construction of Neill’s seawall and the brazen damage to native vegetation and Crown land.
The state MP said the beach in front of Neill’s home, although “not the nicest”, was still open to the public and used for activities such as dog walking.
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