Gene Neill, a businessman residing on the rocky coastline south of Frankston Beach, finds himself at the center of a storm over his unapproved construction of a seawall. Designed to rise about a meter high and run the length of his luxurious home, the structure was supported by galvanised pylons extending four meters deep. However, Mr. Neill proceeded without obtaining the necessary permissions, labeling his actions as "emergency works" to shield his property from coastal erosion and ensure it could be insured.
The Frankston City Council intervened with a stop-work order issued on Monday night. Concerns arose regarding alleged illegal activities and the removal of vegetation on the site. In preparation for the construction, a ramp had been cleared for machinery, and "dead" vegetation was removed. Concrete had already been poured along part of the wall earlier that day. Mr. Neill, who has owned the property for only three months, cited the severe coastal erosion he encountered upon moving in as the reason for his actions.
Protesters gathered outside Mr. Neill's property overnight, voicing their discontent, which ultimately prompted him to consider selling the home. In response to the public uproar, Mr. Neill stated:
"We're not going to be living here anymore." – Gene Neill
University of Melbourne researcher David Kennedy warned that such individual efforts at landslip management could negatively impact other regions of the coastline. He emphasized the importance of integrated management plans:
"I can feel for the landowners, as they want to protect their properties, but if we keep doing everything on the individual property boundary, we just actually make some problems worse." – David Kennedy
To address coastal erosion effectively, Mr. Kennedy suggested:
"You've got to do it across what we call a compartment', a sort of kilometre stretch, to have an integrated management plan." – David Kennedy
Phil Cantillon from the Frankston City Council stressed the importance of informed studies before undertaking works in sensitive coastal environments:
"Works in sensitive coastal environments must be informed by rigorous studies to ensure they do not negatively impact coastal processes, marine ecosystems, or public safety." – Phil Cantillon
Mr. Cantillon also elaborated on the council's efforts to establish coastal hazard adaptation pathways:
"Council is establishing coastal hazard adaptation pathways that build on both state and local risk assessments, as well as coastal and marine management frameworks." – Phil Cantillon
Gene Neill maintained his stance, expressing his intention to stabilize his property:
"I have to stabilise the property. That's all I'm trying to do." – Gene Neill
In light of the legal and environmental challenges, he offered to restore the site:
"We've already offered to reinstate it, back to the way it was." – Gene Neill
Frankston council officers have since visited the site to assess the situation. Meanwhile, discussions continue on how best to manage and mitigate coastal erosion in a manner that serves both private and public interests.
