Work is expected to commence in the coming months to prevent further landslips at Namestone Point on the Great Alpine Road, Nationals Gippsland East MP, Tim Bull, announced today.

“Having raised the matter in Parliament seeking urgent action, I have been advised by the Minister that design work will be completed this month and work will commence ‘once the weather conditions are safe to do so,’” said Mr Bull.

“After the road widening works were completed, I was approached by retired road engineers who said the almost vertical sheer on the roadsides would result in landslips.

“I approached the Minister at the time to raise these concerns, and nothing was done. We then had multiple landslips, which came as no surprise to those in the know.

“They closed the road on multiple occasions for quite some time and only luck prevented anyone from being killed. If a car had been underneath that falling rock, it would have been crushed.

“It was again a case of locals being right and nothing being done about it when the concern was raised. Why this work was not done right when the road was widened is a response, I have not been able to get.”

Mr Bull was told by the Minister the planned works would include a combination of additional batter excavation works, rock netting, anchoring and rock bolts.

“While this should have been done at the time of the road works, it is pleasing to have had this response from the Minister after raising it in Parliament.”

Caption: One of the landslips that occurred on Namestone Point earlier this year (photo supplied).

Monday, 19 July 2021