Warrnambool City Council is seeking quotations for a management plan for the maintenance of vegetation adjoining the foreshore paths under its management. This would include obtaining the required planning permits, offsets and consents to undertake the works for an extended period of time.

Council are the Committee of Management (CoM) for the Warrnambool foreshore (foreshore) which consists of crown land, council owned land and private land. The foreshore paths include:

• Logans Beach Estate (under development);
• the Foreshore Promenade (concrete paths) from Logans Beach Whale Platform to the Warrnambool Breakwater;
• gravel paths at the Bluehole, Pickering Point, Thunder Point; and
• Informal grassed paths between the Flume to Moyjil/Point Ritchie including Grannies Grave.

Council’s depot staff including the Parks, Gardens and Environment, Trees and Botanics and Roads and Drains Teams have actively maintained these paths since their formation, in particular the Foreshore Promenade which is an important link to a number of areas surrounding the foreshore and is used considerably by the community, especially in the summer months. There has been an increased concern by users of the Foreshore Promenade around safety. In particular blind corners caused by vegetation and overhanging branches.

Maintenance has included vertical trimming of vegetation along path edges and where practical, maintaining the tops of vegetation. View lines to the ocean/Lady Bay across the foreshore have been maintained as well over the years but is not a consideration for this management plan. Maintenance has been undertaken predominately using hedge trimmers and other hand tools but at times a contractor with a mulching head on an excavator has been used.

The scope of this project is to produce a management plan that provides long term clear guidance to council on how vegetation along all foreshore paths can be maintained to make the paths safe for users and ultimately decrease the amount of maintenance needed to be performed by council staff each year. Formation of the management plan will also consist of obtaining all permits, offsets and consents needed to undertake the planned works for a minimum five year period.

The plan will take into account vegetation growing on the edges of all concrete, gravel and grass paths found in the foreshore area managed by council. Other vegetation found within the Warrnambool Foreshore including vegetation at view lines are outside the scope of this project.