Our Foreshore
Coastal and marine areas are central to the lifestyle of our community. They hold important sites and places of bio-cultural significance that allow our community as well as visitors to enjoy their natural beauty with breathtaking vistas.
Frankston City has many coastal and marine natural assets along the 9.5km of its foreshore, including beaches, coastal waterways, native vegetation reserves and habitats, marine habitats and geological features. Our coastline varies from high bluffs of weathered granite in the south to long sandy beaches with the largest contiguous Banksia integrifolia (Coast Banksia) habitat in proximity to Melbourne.
Beaches
There are two main beaches, which are located throughout Seaford and Frankston suburbs.
- Seaford Foreshore is approximately 55ha, 5km in length with an average width of 100m comprising of mostly unbroken sandy beaches backed by dense coastal vegetation.
- Frankston foreshore is approximately 15ha, 2.7km in length. The prominently open coastal dune scrub has an average width of 30m. Frankston foreshore beaches are separated by Kananook Creek and end at Olivers Hill seawall.
Explore things to do at our coastal reserves:
Seaford Foreshore Reserve
Frankston Waterfront Reserve
Keast Park
Boating
Ecosystem and Habitats
Seaford foreshore supports the largest, contiguous remnant of coastal vegetation within proximity to Melbourne. It includes intact patches of three coastal Ecological Vegetation Classes (EVCs) including Coast Banksia woodland, coastal dune scrub and coastal dune grassland. Coastal dune grassland occurs on the primary dune and grades into dune scrub. The height of the scrub increases, and structure changes to a relatively tall 5-6m shrub land on the inland side of these dunes transitioning to Coast Banksia woodland.
Frankston foreshore (south of Mile Bridge) is narrower and coastal vegetation is interrupted by open space. The steep cliffs of Olivers Hill to Daveys Bay support relatively intact patches of coastal headland scrub.
Waterways
Frankston’s coastline intersects with several significant waterways including Kananook, Sweetwater and Kackeraboite Creeks. Kananook Creek, originally rising from the now drained Carrum Swamp, has been an integral feature of the foreshore reserve in Frankston. The mouth of Kananook Creek has been altered substantially over the years and regularly dredged to allow for boating access.
Lower Sweetwater Creek in its southernmost reach enters two large barrel drains, which take it under the Nepean Highway and Olivers Hill Carpark then into Port Phillip Bay. Kackeraboite Creek resides in Mornington Peninsula Shire Council with the mouth entering Davey’s Bay. Occasionally, the mouth will reside with Frankston City dependant on sand movement.