Section of Wandi Walk likely to remain closed to public

A SECTION of the Wandi Walk, which has encroached on to private land due to migration of Morses Creek, is unlikely to be reopened to the public. The popular Wandi Walk follows Morses Creek from where it joins with the Ovens River in Bright's Centenary Park, through to Wandiligong, with the walking path predominantly located on crown land alongside the creek. At two locations, Morses Creek has migrated into separate parcels of private land, and the freehold owners withdrew public access to both sections in late 2023. Council's chief executive officer, Will Jeremy, said council had engaged two different consultants with public land expertise to assess the situation, history and relevant law. "We asked these specialists to provide feedback to council on the options available and the viability of each option for re-establishment of the walk on the western side of Morses Creek," Mr Jeremy said. "Unfortunately in this case, Morses Creek has shifted west over time, and its current path now runs through private property. "Under the Land Act 1958, if a river or creek changes its path, the public land that was set aside when the land was first divided doesn’t move with the water, and the boundary between public and private land stays where it was originally marked." Mr Jeremy said both specialists agreed that, based on the Act, there is no longer any public land between the private properties and Morses Creek. "Our future options in relation to the Wandi Walk remain limited to available public land." A report to last night's monthly council meeting said council officers are progressing actions to ensure that all of the public land adjacent in the subject area remains appropriately accessible to the public, and that signage is appropriately located and unambiguous. Councillors were top consider a recommendation of whether or not to continue to investigate the feasibility of bypassing the freehold land to maintain the Wandi Walk as a continuous walking trail.

Section of Wandi Walk likely to remain closed to public

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