Coastal geomorphology and geology of the Gippsland Lakes region: a review and future directions

David M. Kennedy; Bruce Thom; Rob Gell; Neville J. Rosengren

doi:10.1071/RS23018

REVIEW (Open Access)

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Coastal geomorphology and geology of the Gippsland Lakes region: a review and future directions

David M. Kennedy

^A ^* , Bruce Thom ^B , Rob Gell ^C and Neville J. Rosengren ^D

+ Author Affiliations

- Author Affiliations

^A School of Geography, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Vic. 3010, Australia.

^B School of Geosciences, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia.

^C The Royal Society of Victoria, Melbourne, Vic. 3000, Australia.

^D Environmental Geoservices Pty Ltd, 444G Black Rock Road RD6, Masterton, 5886, New Zealand.

^* Correspondence to: davidmk@unimelb.edu.au

Handling Editor: Bill Birch

Proceedings of the Royal Society of Victoria 136, RS23018 https://doi.org/10.1071/RS23018

Submitted: 12 October 2023 Accepted: 30 January 2024 Published: 11 June 2024

© 2024 The Author(s) (or their employer(s)). Published by CSIRO Publishing on behalf of the Royal Society of Victoria. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC-ND)

Abstract

The Gippsland Lakes region is located on Gunaikurnai Country and is principally within the territories of the Tatungalung and Krauatungalung clans. It contains arguably the best-preserved barrier island sequence in Australia that represents deposition during sea level highstands dating back to at least Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 7. The beach barrier and enclosed estuarine sequences are also a significant economic and social asset for Victoria. This review brings together and integrates the geomorphic research on the barriers initiated with the doctoral studies of the late Eric Bird in the mid-20th century. The Gippsland Lakes form within the depressions between three barrier sequences – the Prior Barrier (MIS 7), Inner Barrier (MIS 5) and Outer Barrier (MIS 1). Ninety Mile Beach occurs on the seaward edge of the Outer Barrier and represents a littoral sediment transport system that extends from Corner Inlet, north through the region, and eventually into New South Wales. The Outer Barrier and Ninety Mile Beach are highly dynamic environments with major phases of reworking occurring in the past 200 years related to changing land management practices. In the past few decades it appears that the system is now trending towards erosion, with instances of wave overwash and landward dune rollover becoming more apparent. To understand whether the system has reached a tipping point towards long-term erosion (barrier transgression) it is urgent for the current sedimentary system to be understood in much greater detail and modelling undertaking on future trajectories of shoreline change. This research is needed to understand the resilience of the system to climate change at the spatial scale needed to properly ‘care for Country’.

Keywords: barrier islands, beach, climate change, dunes, geomorphology, Gippsland, Ninety Mile Beach, sea level.

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