Stabilising Paddy’s Hill – VicRoads March Update
March 27, 2017
It was great to see around 50 members of the community on Saturday morning at Wye River. VicRoads Regional Director Mark Koliba gave an update on timelines and next steps for community consultation. Community members in Melbourne are invited to the same forum this Thursday 30 March at the Treasury Theatre in Spring St, 6:00pm - 7:30pm
Residents and speakers at Saturday's community meeting at Wye River
Keeping the community informed
With stabilisation works now underway, we will be providing regular updates and keeping the community informed in a number of ways.
Look for our updates on the WyeSepConnect website and facebook page, regular pieces in the Colac Otway Shire newsletter and on our own website. We’ll also post updates on community noticeboards and continue to meet with community representatives and traders. If you have a great idea for how we can reach the community, we would love to hear from you:
Consulting the community
In February, we consulted with the Progress Association, who chose a light brown biodegradable matting to be placed beneath steel mesh - an essential part of the stabilisation of the landslide zone.
This week we are taking a group of community representatives on a tour of the hill, to gain local insight and input into the vegetation removal required for upcoming soil nailing.
Stabilising the hill involves three stages of work
Construction of the (lower) retaining wall on the Great Ocean Road. This is now almost finished with the installation of rock baskets and will is scheduled to completed by Easter.
Construction of the upper retaining wall, located below private properties in Iluka Avenue. This will be completed mid to late April.
Extensive soil nailing across the landslide zone. Soil nailing will commence once the retaining walls are finished and be completed mid year.
An example of a soil nailing rig in action on a hillside
What work will happen next?
Once the upper retaining wall is finished, it will be safe to undertake soil nailing on the landslide area below.
We have commissioned an ecologist to report on vegetation in the works area. This has helped identify fire-affected dead wood and plants that will need to be trimmed to ground level in preparation for soil nailing. Significant trees will be protected.
Given the slope and sensitivity of the environment, we will undertake soil nailing using hand-operated portable rigs to drill around 300 x 4m-8m long soil nails.
At times, there will be noise from soil nailing. We will take every precaution to keep this to a minimum. Please contact us if you have any concerns.
Once soil nailing has occurred, a steel-grid mesh anchoring system will be laid across this area as part of the stabilisation works. Erosion control matting will also be installed in areas that currently don’t have vegetation.
Rehabilitation will include direct seeding.
Access to build the upper retaining wall
To build the upper retaining wall above Paddy’s Path, we did create a temporary track to bring material from Iluka Avenue down to the work site. However, to reduce impact on private properties, we are now creating a shorter track (3m x 25m), near 33 Wallace Avenue. We are grateful to the nearby resident for allowing us to work adjacent to her property.
This shorter and more direct track will give improved access for machinery and equipment to complete the upper retaining wall and soil nailing. Once works on the retaining wall and stabilisation works are complete, all tracks will be fully remediated.
Great Ocean Road will be open for Easter
We are on track to complete the Great Ocean Road (lower) retaining wall and remove all equipment from the road by Easter, when we will have open both lanes open.
Key timelines
Paddy's Path stabilisation works are scheduled to be completed, depending on weather, around mid-year. We will consider weekend work if works are impacted by weather. We will provide the community with regular updates as the works progress.
Get in Touch & More Information
VicRoads has a designated webpage for Great Ocean Road landslide information and traffic conditions.
To sign up to our E bulletin distribution list email
Up to date information can also be found on the VicTraffic website and app or by calling 13 11 70.