Coastal hazards are impacting the cliff top trail between the Jan Juc Surf Lifesaving Club and Rocky Point at Torquay
We are committed to providing safe access for everyone who visits the coast.
We know that the cliff trail between Jan Juc Surf Lifesaving Club and Rocky Point in Torquay is much loved, and we can assure users that it is currently safe to use. However, waves and storm surges are impacting the cliff. The cliff trail may become unsafe at any point within the next few years and sections of trail will need to be permanently closed.
The timing of these closures is dependent on storm and climate conditions and cannot be accurately predicted. We know that coastal hazards, such as these cliff impacts, are expected to increase with changes in wave action, storm activity and sea level rise associated with climate change. Geotechnical assessments of the area show that it is likely that the section of the trail closer to the Rocky Point Headland will need to be closed sooner than the section closer to the Jan Juc Surf Lifesaving Club. Based on our on-the-ground management experience, we think the path is likely to need to be closed within the next five years.
We acknowledge that some trail users may wonder why we do not just move the trail inland, rather than permanently close it. We cannot move the coastal trail as it would not provide a long-term solution, would impact coastal vegetation and the critical habitat it provides for native animals, and does not align with the principles of the Victorian Marine and Coastal Policy 2020.
When any sections of the trail become becomes unsafe, we will immediately let trail users know via signage at the trail and through other communications.
Current Status
May 2024
During January, we engaged the community to better understand the ways you value this part of the coast, and to share details on our approach to managing safety issues impacting the cliff trail. Thank you to everyone who filled out online surveys, attended walk and talk events or sent us an email. Seventy percent of survey respondents were supportive of management actions we are taking to ensure trail user safety.
Key themes of feedback received through the engagement process included:
- Emotional and recreational values of the trail
- Cliff trail safety and closure of the Rocky Point stairs
- Alternate inland trail use
- Environmental impacts and conservation of the dune system
- Communication preferences
We have captured this feedback and how we are responding in our ‘Engagement Summary Report’.
The next steps for this project will include ongoing monitoring of cliff trail safety and ensuring users are kept up to date on the safety status of the cliff trail. Users will be informed, as soon as possible, when the trail is no longer safe to use. Community preferences for communications identified through the engagement process will help guide the way we share this information.
Users will also be informed prior to and during the construction of the new linking trail and consolidation of the existing beach access at the eastern end of Jan Juc Beach.
Map of trails impacted by coastal erosion
We are taking action to keep trail users safe
Our 2023 trail user data shows that approximately 4,300 people use the trail each month, so we know how important it is to the community. We are undertaking several management actions to enable trail users to continue to travel safely between the Jan Juc Surf Lifesaving Club and Rocky Point and to access the beach:
- We are closely monitoring the trail and cliff from the ground and the air for any
further erosion and will communicate as soon as possible when it is no longer
safe.
- When sections of the cliff trail are no longer
safe, they will be permanently closed. Trail users will need to use the inland
trail and the new linking trail (see maps above). This will still enable access to the beach and travel
between the Jan Juc Surf Lifesaving Club and Rocky Point.
- The beach access stairs at the east of the trail at Rocky Point were significantly damaged in a storm in 2022. We are not rebuilding these stairs. Geotechnical assessments show that we can no longer safely replace these stairs.
- In early 2024 we intend to build a new linking trail from the coastal trail to the inland trail that runs alongside the Torquay Golf Course. This will enable the western section of the cliff trail to remain in use once the eastern section must be closed. The selected placement and alignment of the linking trail represents the lowest impact to the dune environment. While it is not the most direct path, it will require the least amount of infrastructure given its flat topography. This will also maintain a higher level of accessibility for trail users.
- We are upgrading the beach access at Jan Juc Beach. This will provide improved beach access on the eastern end of Jan Juc Beach and maintain access from the beach at high tide.
The Victorian coast is dynamic and always changing, shaped by natural coastal processes such as erosion and inundation. At times, natural processes may have a negative impact on coastal values and uses. When this occurs, we refer to the processes as coastal hazards.
Coastal hazard exposure is expected to increase with changes in wave action, storm activity and sea level rise associated with climate change.
We are taking a partnership approach to managing coastal hazard risk and proactively adapt, both now and in the long-term. Our approach follows the direction of the Marine and Coastal Policy 2020 and Victoria’s Resilient Coast – Adapting for 2100+ Framework and Guidelines.
We value evidence-based decision making and have had an independent geotechnical assessment of the cliff trail conducted. This assessment identified that the safety of the cliff trail will become compromised due to impacts from waves and storm surges within the near future. This creates safety concerns for trail and beach users because of the cliff fall risk and land slip.
The cliff is being eroded and the trail along the top of the cliff is at risk from further erosion. This is significantly impacting the safety of the cliff trail and the beach beneath the cliff.
The geotechnical assessment showed that the Eastern section of the trail (shown on the map on this webpage) is likely to become unsafe due to coastal hazards earlier than the western section. This is why we are building a linking trail to the inland trail, to enable users to still access the western section of the coastal trail.
We acknowledge that some trail users may wonder why we do not just move the trail inland. We cannot move the coastal trail as it would not provide a long-term solution, would impact coastal vegetation and does not align with the principles of the Victorian Marine and Coastal Policy 2020.
There are other tracks along the Great Ocean Road coast and parks that we are also monitoring for safety. We have previously retreated sections of the Surf Coast Walk at Anglesea and Aireys Inlet in response to similar cliff and landslip risks. We take the same risk-based approach to management of all cliff and landslip hazards and align any adaptation planning with the principles of the Victorian Marine and Coastal Policy and the Marine and Coastal Act 2018. Our website has more information on this risk-based approach.
The cliff trail and inland trail between Jan Juc Surf Lifesaving Club and Rocky Point in Torquay run along a coastal dune system. Coastal sand dunes play a critical role in protecting coastal towns and are home to a wide variety of animals and plants who live on the coast.
Some of the animals you might see when walking these trails include the Nankeen Kestrel and the Rufus Bristlebird which is a threatened species listed under the Victorian Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act 1988. Other significant species found here are swamp antechinus, bandicoots and native mice and rats.
The low alkaline soils support Coastal Moonah Woodlands, which is a listed threatened community and Coastal Headland Scrub which is an ecological vegetation class that is also listed as vulnerable.
Click here to find out more about the plants and animals you can find along the coast in Jan Juc.
Click here to find out more about the amazing coastal environment of the Great Ocean Road.
Have Your Say
In January 2024 we sought community input to better understand the ways you value this part of the coast and how to best communicate when sections of the cliff trail need to be closed.
We’re committed to working with the community to ensure decisions on the coast consider local knowledge, input, and the best information available. We are now analysing community feedback on this project and will report back on what we heard shortly.
