By Brendan Rees
A PETITION has been launched to replace a popular boardwalk in Mordialloc’s Epsom wetland reserve after the City of Kingston backed away from plans to repair the aging structure.
The Epsom wetland boardwalks provide a scenic route for walkers, joggers and birdwatchers who enjoy the natural beauty of the wetland’s surroundings. But the Kingston Council has abandoned any plans to pursue repair work on the boardwalk saying it was no longer feasible, prompting a resident to raise concerns.
Resident Lindsay MacDonald started a change.org petition earlier this year calling for the council to “follow through on their commitment to replace the Epsom wetland boardwalks as promised”. “The two boardwalks were a highly used part of the community footpath network and local residents have been waiting two years for the boardwalks to be replaced,” the petition stated.
“The recent decision not to replace them comes as a shock and is contrary to council’s existing commitments.”
The petition lists six dates from last year in which council officers had committed to a planned replacement of the boardwalk including spending $500,000 on the project in its 2023-24 budget.
At the Kingston Council’s August 23 meeting, Mr MacDonald asked the chamber if it could “please rescind their decision not to replace the Epsom wetland boardwalks as the decision was based on inaccurate information” and “why did council not choose $3000 as their basis of estimate?”
In a statement, the council’s infrastructure and open space general manager Samantha Krull said, “detailed investigations revealed that replacing the boardwalks is not feasible, mainly due to the significant vegetation and impact on fauna which live in the grasslands”. “Council is focussing on investing in other pedestrian and cycling infrastructure in the area that will provide broader community benefits. The cost estimates used were informed by recent, equivalent projects completed by council at the time.”
This is despite the council having recently published its Performance Report for April to June 2024, which advocated to “protect and enhance our foreshore, marine environment, waterways and wetlands”. It stated, “A total of 36 of the 44 Coastal and Marine Management Plan actions, which are either ongoing or to be completed in the first two years, have commenced or been completed”.
The Epsom Park Wetland Reserve, which covers 3.6 hectares, was created in 2000 to protect the endangered native vegetation within the Epsom Park Estate. The estate was developed on the site of the former Epsom Racecourse and horse training facility established in 1886. It is now enjoyed by locals as an open space.
View the petition here:
www.change.org/p/i-ask-the-city-of-kingston-council-to-replace-the-epsom-wetland-boardwalks
First published in the Chelsea Mordialloc Mentone News – 2 October 2024