Price of Beechworth's Lake Sambell beach project growing

The development was budgeted at $79,746, including $65,000 from Indigo Council and $14,746 from the disbanded Lake Sambell Committee of Management, but has blown out to a total cost of $89,600.

A council report, to be presented to Tuesday’s meeting, blamed higher than estimated costs for the design and construction of footpath and beach extension works, which have already been completed.

One of two retaining walls at the beach was built and the swing set moved near the car park, to make way for a new shelter, but was closed off when some people were concerned about the dangers of children playing near traffic.

The project has now been on hold since Easter.

Councillors will be asked to sign off on the revised plan on Tuesday evening.

It recommended moving the swings to another part of the beach area, where fencing and bollards would not need to be purchased by the council.

Other changes included a step and two handrails on the top of the retaining walls to ensure they were easier to see, and raising the shade sails by a metre to make them harder to reach.

The sails had become a target for vandals and are being repaired with money from the council’s playground maintenance budget.

Beechworth resident Christine Stewart said the development at Lake Sambell was much needed, but the council had failed to deliver.

“Indigo Council can’t seem to get their act together at all, it is not good enough with school holidays starting in three weeks’ time,” she said.

“It is obvious that there has been no proper planning and resources have been wasted, for example the problem of rain water creating gutters down the beach has not stopped even with the construction of an expensive stone wall.

“The pathway to the water is not suitable for people with disabilities as it breeches gradient guidelines.

“The recent rains saw the lake water rise to the base of the wall and the new pathway was flooded.”

The report stated the path “was not designed or intended to cater for wheelchair access due to the steep gradient on the beach”, but was “designed to enhance access to the water to the extent reasonably practicable”.

A path leading four metres into the water was considered, but had its challenges and would cost $15,000, so the final decision was delayed until the next stage.

The project was scheduled to be completed before summer.

The August meeting of Indigo Council will be held at the council chambers in Beechowrth from 6.30pm Tuesday.