Published on 23 December 2025
Council, in partnership with the Borough’s Lived Experience Disability Group (LEDG – the LEDGends) is working to improve access to our beaches for residents and visitors with mobility impairments – and we’re bringing back the beach mats to do so.
After the success of last year’s trial, we’ve installed beach access matting again off the end of the Tandberg boardwalk, between the Searoad Ferries terminal and the Queenscliff pier, ready for summer.
The mats allow people dependant on mobility aids to move off the paths and onto sand and safely into the water. They are commonly used with specialised equipment such as ‘beach wheelchairs’ but can help a variety of people gain beach access, from those with walkers to those with prams.
Anyone can walk along them, wheel their pram, wheelie walker or beach trolley along them, however we don’t recommend using a motorised mobility scooter as there isn’t sufficient room to turn around at the end of the mat.
We’ve also made sure accessible toilets have been installed near the beach mats.
Our trial last year showed us these mats helped a lot of people access the beach who can’t normally walk on soft sand. We look forward to continuing to help make our a place everyone can access.
The mats will remain in place until late April 2026. Council looks forward to continuing our work with the LEDG to make the Borough more accessible to all.