Seven years on: Where's the $5.8 million Lakes Entrance boardwalk?
One councillor noted that the project had been around much longer than he’d been on the council.
Jacob Wallace
February 02, 2026
Gippsland MP Darren Chester has asked for “straight answers” from East Gippsland council, following the stalled development of a boardwalk in Lakes Entrance the federal government has already committed over $5 million in funding towards.
What happened: While not particularly common for federal politicians to delve into local government matters, Chester released a statement on Monday expressing his frustration with the local council at the delay in the Krauatungalung Walk development.
🗣️ “Council’s failure to deliver components of the project with the funding provided in a timely manner means cost escalations will see less of the work completed once tenders are finally called,” Chester said in a statement.
What is the Krauatungalung Walk?
East Gippsland council received $2.2 million of funding in 2021 and $3.6 million in 2022 from the federal government to design and build a 4.5 kilometre all-abilities walking circuit around Cunninghame Arm, east of the Lakes Entrance footbridge.
In consultation with local Indigenous leaders, the development was named the Seven years on: Where's the $5.8 million Lakes Entrance boardwalk? after one of the five clans of the GurnaiKurnai First Peoples.
Map of the Krauatungalung Walk from East Gippsland Council.
Three stages to go: The construction of the Krauatungalung Walk has been divided into four stages and, while stage one has been completed, the remaining three stages have been delayed for years.
Stage one, a pedestrian walkway between the Lakes Entrance footbridge and Hammocks bridge at the eastern end of Cunninghame Arm, was officially opened a year ago on February 1, 2025.
The council claims it has only received funding for the design development of the Krauatungalung Walk stages two, three and four and that further construction is “subject to the success of future funding applications”.
The building of Krauatungalung Walk stage one. Image from East Gippsland Council.
On and on and on: Councillor Arthur Allen noted at an East Gippsland council meeting in November that the project had been around much longer than he’d been a councillor.
“There’s been surveys across the town, there’s been elections fought on it, and it has very, very strong support within the Lakes Entrance community,” he said.
What is the cause? Darren Chester said changes in council plans and project managers had led to frequent delays.
🗣️ “The lack of continuity has added to the frustrating delays and repeated excuses about seeking approvals from other levels of government,” Chester said. “There’s been no urgency from Council to get the job done, and the longer we wait, cost escalations will impact the amount of work which can be completed.”
Stage four only narrowly approved
At an East Gippsland Council meeting in November, councillors voted 5-4 to approve stage four of the development after it had received pushback from some residents.
To appease locals who lived on properties adjacent to stage four of the Krauatungalung Walk, the council changed its development plans to remove handrails, lights and make sure the boardwalk was built 10 to 15 metres from property boundaries.
The Monitor reached out to Mayor Jodie Ashworth for comment but she did not respond prior to publication.
Correction: A previous version of this story misnamed mayor Jodie Ashworth. We regret the error.