Since the severe storm that lashed the Mornington Peninsula on 29 October, Mornington Peninsula Shire has been working determinedly to reopen sections of foreshore campgrounds as soon as they are deemed safe.
We know the storm dashed the hopes of many families that wanted to be camping right now, but the good news is we are on track to reopen the Sorrento and Rye campgrounds on 26 November, well before the peak season.
Major tree inspections across the Sorrento and Rye campgrounds have been done and the arborist crews have finished branch and debris pick up works.
Final inspections to check for not-so-obvious tree and branch hazards have just been finished and the arborist has given the green light to reopen the campgrounds in Sorrento and Rye.
Our teams will now finish getting the Sorrento and Rye grounds ready and do final checks on the facilities and infrastructure, ready to welcome campers.
Further inspections at McCrae and Rosebud will start soon at sections five, six and seven, before moving on to sections 11 and 12, which are the most popular camping areas during the pre-peak camping period.
We are still working towards having all the campgrounds reopened and ready for the peak camping season on 18 December.
Quotes attributable to Mayor Anthony Marsh
"It's great news that we can soon welcome campers back to the Sorrento and Rye campgrounds.
"The storm caused quite a bit of tree damage across the campgrounds and we are extremely grateful to the arborist crews which have been doing the necessary tree safety inspections and cleaning up fallen branches.
"Our number one priority when reopening the campgrounds is safety. As soon as the trees are declared safe, we will welcome back campers with open arms.
"We have been providing regular updates to our campers about the situation and look forward to opening the Sorrento and Rye campgrounds on 26 November."
