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Gene Neill later vowed to tear up the work and sell his property because of the public uproar. (ABC News: Danielle Bonica)<\/p>\n
Mr Neill conceded he did not have a permit.<\/p>\n
At the time, he described the construction as “emergency works” to protect his $9 million property from coastal erosion and landslides, after being refused insurance.<\/p>\n
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Council inspectors issued a stop work order on the unauthorised construction in March. (ABC News: Danielle Bonica)<\/p>\n
But after a public outcry, Mr Neill told the ABC<\/a> he had met with the council and offered to “pull down what’s there on the foreshore”.<\/p>\n “We’ve already offered to reinstate it, back to the way it was,” he said in March.<\/p>\n But when the ABC visited three months on, the finished concrete wall stood about 1.5m above the shore.<\/p>\n Beachfront mansion owner Gene Neill says to construct the beach wall is common sense. (ABC News: Darryl Torpy)<\/p>\n “I’m not taking it down,” Mr Neill said, pointing out he had just had a delivery of large rocks as part of landscaping works, and inviting the ABC to return when the project was finished.<\/p>\n “It’s just common sense.”<\/p>\n ‘Bring on’ legal action<\/p>\n Mr Neill admitted the construction could lead to legal action.<\/p>\n “I want them to bring it on,” he said.<\/p>\n “I’ve got the money.”<\/p>\n Gene Neill has described the construction of a beach wall as emergency works to protect his $9 million property. (ABC News: Darryl Torpy)<\/p>\n He had previously denied the wall was on public land.<\/p>\n Mr Neill also said had sold the property with settlement due in 11 months, which the ABC has not been able to verify.<\/p>\n Frankston Council was scheduled to discuss the issue of how to enforce the stop-work order at its coming meeting, but that part of the meeting will be closed to the public.<\/p>\n Wall ‘will have to come down’ State Labor MP Paul Edbrooke says people can’t walk past the wall at high tide. (ABC News: Darryl Torpy)<\/p>\n State Labor MP Paul Edbrooke said Frankston was better off without the wall.<\/p>\n “It’s giving the middle finger to the people of Frankston,” Mr Edbrooke said.<\/p>\n “This is a wall that has been built around four metres onto Frankston’s public beach and people can’t even walk past this wall at high tide.”<\/p>\n He said it was up to Mr Neill to remove it.<\/p>\n “I’m not a lawyer, but I think that wall will not be there soon,” he said.<\/p>\n “That wall will have to come down and I think the owner that built it will be the one responsible.”<\/p>\n A spokesperson for the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action said it had not approved any privately funded seawalls on coastal Crown land at Olivers Hill.<\/p>\n “Frankston South beach is public land and should be accessible to all Victorians,” they said.<\/p>\n Beach ‘slipping away’<\/p>\n Noel Payz walks her dogs on the beach where the seawall is most days, stopping regularly to pick up rubbish. She said erosion was a big concern.<\/p>\n “It’s got really bad along this beach the past 10 years \u2014 bit by bit it’s all slipping away,” Ms Payz said.<\/p>\n Local resident Noel Payz, pictured next to Mr Neill’s seawall, says the council should negotiate with home owners prepared to do the work to prevent erosion. (ABC News: Darryl Torpy)<\/p>\n She had written to the council asking what would happen with the seawall, but said she had not heard back.<\/p>\n She said the council should either assume responsibility for protecting assets like homes from erosion, or negotiate with owners who were prepared to do the works.<\/p>\n “I shudder to think how many houses that are built along the coast will be in danger at some point in time.”<\/p>\n Noel Payz says erosion is a concern at Frankston South. (ABC News: Darryl Torpy)<\/p>\n Erosion and landslips are a growing concern along Victoria’s coast, especially in built-up areas.<\/p>\n In January, a landslip in nearby McCrae<\/a> <\/a>caused a $2 million home to crash down the hill, leaving residents of 19 homes unable to return to their properties.<\/p>\n Frankston council is developing a plan to identify and manage coastal risks.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
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