Federal Member for Gippsland, Darren Chester, says work to build a $5.8 million all-abilities boardwalk project in Lakes Entrance needs to be fast-tracked after years of community planning and consultation.
Mr Chester said construction should start as soon as possible., given the cultural, social, economic and environmental benefits the boardwalk and shared pathway around the shores of Cunninghame Arm in Lakes Entrance would deliver,
“The Federal Government funding I secured earlier this year has been confirmed in the latest budget, which is great news for Gippsland and provides bipartisan recognition of the importance of this project,” Mr Chester said.
“It is named ‘Krauatungalung Walk’ because the circuit will celebrate the region’s rich indigenous heritage and link Eastern Beach to Main Beach with a boardwalk along the lake foreshore, and also upgrade existing pathways.
“While it has been a community-driven project to this stage, the project will be delivered by East Gippsland Shire Council (EGSC) and Gunaikurnai Land and Waters Aboriginal Corporation (GLAWAC).”
Mr Chester said he met with council staff last week and made it clear the community wanted to see progress and some timeframes for the delivery of the project.
“I understand it’s complex and there’s still a lot of work to be done to finalise the design on sensitive foreshore environments, but I’m confident we can develop an outstanding circuit with iconic artwork that will be popular with locals and visitors,” he said.
“The challenge now is to get the state government bureaucracy moving at a faster pace to provide approvals for the work and actually get stuff done on the ground.”
Mr Chester said EGSC had undertaken a cost-benefit analysis of the project, which showed a positive business case with jobs during construction and ongoing opportunities in the visitor economy.
“The circuit will feature public art installations, which tell the story of the local indigenous community and the Traditional Owners of our country and can be added to over the years as more funding becomes available to create a sculpture trail,” he said.
“It will be wheelchair-accessible, encourage locals to exercise, help to attract visitors, and encourage travellers to take a break and learn more about the region’s heritage.”
Mr Chester said the improvements to existing infrastructure also complemented the redevelopment of the Lakes Entrance foreshore, which had been jointly funded by all levels of government over the past five years.
“The construction of the circuit will fill in missing sections of path along both sides of the water, while preserving access to Cunninghame Arm for swimmers, kayaks, paddles boards, paddle boats and others,” he said.
“Raised boardwalks will protect environmentally sensitive areas impacted by uncontrolled foot traffic, and assist its regeneration, while elsewhere, the boardwalk structure will be co-designed to limit the impact of erosion on private and public assets.”
