Frequently Asked Questions

Lord Street, as a shared zone, is intentionally designed to meander in order to slow vehicles down. This means that the road width varies with the narrowest point at 6.0m including the grated drain. While the architectural design plan indicated a desired width of 7.0m, the engineering construction design had to take into consideration the location of services, drainage, property boundaries, disability access and other regulatory requirements. The change between architectural design to engineering construction drawings is not unusual in civil construction projects.

The new road width for Lord Street past the police station is the same width also. The minimum lane width required is 5.5m for two lanes, which allows vehicles (semi-trailer or smaller) to pass each other on the roadway at 5.5m (2.75m per lane). Many high-speed rural roads (100km/h) are based on a seal width of 5.5m to 5.8m wide. 

20km/h provides a high degree of safety to all road users. Information and analysis by VicRoads and Transport Accident Commission (TAC) shows improved safety outcomes for vulnerable road users at this reduced speed. The speed limit has been approved by VicRoads and all safety implications considered for the reduction of the limit from 30km/h to 20km/h. 

The project is funded jointly by Council, the State Government and Federal Government. The Project has faced unforeseen costs including unmapped asbestos and service infrastructure that has required redesign, additional construction works and program rescheduling; delays in power shutdowns requiring contractors to work in a ‘live’ site impacting on time and requiring further program rescheduling; existing road subsurface being inadequate to reuse requiring additional asphalting. These impacts have also resulted in time delays that require additional traffic management and resources.

All of these unforeseen costs have resulted in the original project budget being exceeded. The additional project budget is being funded by Council. 

Lord Street has been made into a one-way street for the construction phase of the project. Lord Street will return to two way traffic at the completion of project. 

The project is on track for the major elements to be completed by 31 March, with some residual elements (example – planting) to be undertaken in Autumn.

The current concept design for the decks -  that is the seven round pod shapes, with timber platforms, timber cladding and sawtooth edges -  was the concept and schematic design approved at the Council meeting in August 2020.

Construction Documentation was undertaken after the August 2020 Council meeting and involved technical input from respective regulatory bodies and agencies.  

With the exception of some engineering changes to the footings (from cantilevered platforms on a large pillar to the Surefoot design) and consequent down-sizing and minor shifting of platform locations to avoid tree roots and geotechnical challenges, the construction designs for the decks do not differ from the approved Design Development drawings.

Early in the design process, initial concepts in 2018 showed rectangular platforms with several jutting out beyond the canopy of the Norfolk Pines across the cliff line, most with step-down and level changes presenting accessibility challenges. Following feedback, which was provided at in-person community meetings, online and at co-design workshops held in Port Campbell, the rectangular platforms were replaced with round decks with enclosed areas featuring timber cladding. The concept designs were reviewed by the Victorian Government Architect Design Review Panel. The first versions of the round, more enclosed concepts were put forward in 2019 to a briefing of Council and developed further by the design architects, the Community Reference Group and the Project Working Group during 2019 and 2020.

There is no error in footings or elevations for any of the decks. Deck 7 (the one nearest the Rocket Shed) will have the same timber at the same grade as the footpath. A step down onto the deck proper is being built as part of the approved construction drawings. This step down is intentional and provides for direct access from the footpath to Deck 7. Decks 6 and 7 have been designed so that wheelchair users can safely travel down and around and onto deck 7 via deck 6.

The early concept designs for the decks had a step down onto decks 7, 5, 3 and 1 effectively meaning no wheelchair access at all. This has been resolved with the tie-in links between the footpath and decks 7, 5 and 2. All Abilities Access will be provided to all decks. Decks 7 and 6, closest to the Rocket Shed, remain at a lower similar level to the remainder of the decks along Lord Street south.

What is happening with the cladding for the balustrades?

Minor modifications are being implemented to the balustrade cladding. Stainless steel tensioned wire on the bay facing side of decks #1, #4 and #6 will replace the angled timber, and the timber boards will be lowered by two boards on the footpath side of decks #1, #4 and #6.