This area is a very low-lying and low-energy environment. Similar to the more eastern areas, the shoreline is very narrow with little to no dune formation to protect the hinterland. There is minimal sediment transport in this area due to a lack of material and low-wave action.

The western side of Point Henry (Stingaree Bay side) is protected by an informal rock revetment. The eastern side supports almost 20 hectares of saline habitat and small salt lagoons. At the base of Point Henry, the relict salt pans are closed in by a series of unmaintained levees. The levees do not form a consistent barrier, and have been breached to allow water to enter. These offer some protection to the hinterland; however, with increasing sea-levels and a lack of maintenance, this may be short lived. The Newcomb and Moolap residential and commercial areas lie behind the salt pans and Portarlington Rd; these are similarly very low-lying. Inundation is the key issue for this area, with flow paths from Stingaree Bay and to the east of Point Henry, as indicated by the blue arrows in Figure 6-33.

Much of the Geelong foreshore is highly modified. The frontage is protected with seawalls and revetments, with man-made beaches to provide amenity for the community. Shorelines are narrow with little sediment supply to maintain a wide dry beach, therefore renourishments are undertaken sporadically. The dominant littoral drift is towards the west, driven by refracted waves from the Inner Harbour. The bathymetry is shallow and flat, with an abundance of fine grained sediments. The nearshore zone supports seagrass habitats.

Figure 6-33     Point Henry and Saltpans and possible inundation routes