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Cunninghame Arm boardwalk $5.8M construction underway in Lakes Entrance

Federal Member for Gippsland Darren Chester says a $5.8 million boardwalk project in Lakes Entrance needs to be fast-tracked after years of community planning and consultation.

By news@gippsland - 8th November 2022 - Back to News

Federal Member for Gippsland Darren Chester said work to construct an all-abilities boardwalk and shared pathway around the shores of Cunninghame Arm in Lakes Entrance should start as soon as possible because of the cultural, social, economic and environmental benefits it will 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.

The new boardwalk will offer a circuit with improved access for people of all abilities, and build on the successful redevelopment of the foreshore for locals and visitors with mobility issues

Community-driven 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). I met with council staff last week and made it clear that the community needs 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. "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.

Learning the region's heritage

Mr Chester said EGSC had undertaken a cost-benefit analysis of the project which demonstrated 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."

"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. The improvements to existing infrastructure also complements the redevelopment of the Lakes Entrance foreshore which has 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. 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." Mr Chester said.

Pictures from Darren Chester MP website.

Source: http://gippsland.com/

Published by: news@gippsland.com