Following completion of extensive risk management works on the Mount Eliza Escarpment, pedestrian access along the base of Mount Eliza has now been re-opened.
Paths include the footbridge over Mounts Bay Road and sections of the Four Seasons Fitness Trail, reinstating the link between the footbridge and the Kokoda Steps, which lead up to the Botanic Garden.
The paths were closed as a precautionary public safety measure following a significant rockfall in 2005, followed by further more recent rockfalls in the area. Subsequent detailed risk assessments recommended permanent closure of some paths and the installation of high capacity rock catch fencing in some areas to further reduce the public safety risk.
Technical difficulties associated with the inaccessible and unstable slopes resulted in lengthy delays in the fence design, design testing and construction, but all recommended risk mitigation measures are now in place.
Ongoing monitoring of the slopes will continue with possible short-term pedestrian detours around areas prone to debris falls, particularly following periods of heavy rainfall, while safety inspections are completed.
During the winter of 2009, planting of selected local native plants will assist in the rehabilitation and stabilisation of the slopes.
The Authority appreciates the co-operation and patience of those members of the community who were inconvenienced by this important risk management project and now welcomes visitors through this precinct.