Rock column on Peterborough beach in danger of imminent collapse

The fence had upset locals who questioned why the whole beach at Wild Dog Cove had to be blocked off, and feared they could lose access for good.

But at a community meeting with Parks Victoria representatives on Tuesday, residents were assured the closure was only temporary until they could make the area safer again.

Contractors are expected to manually topple the dangerous rock column along the cliff sometime this month.

Residents raised concerns that despite the fencing, people were still accessing the beach by scaling down other well-worn but dangerous paths.

Parks Victoria West Coast District acting district manager Andrew McKinnon said his main concern was keeping people safe and he didn't want there to be a fatality.

"We know there's a clear and present danger," he said.

"The rock column at Wild Dog Cove could collapse at any time and cause serious injuries, and even deaths, if people were nearby."

Mr McKinnon said in the past 12 months further along the Surf Coast, a 28-year-old man was hit and killed by a section of falling cliff, and he wanted to ensure that didn't happen here.

"We know this is going to fall. We don't know exactly when, but what we are trying to do ... is isolate the risk," he said.

The fence will keep people away from the dangerous section until it is brought down under a controlled operation.

The plan was for that to happen by mid-January at the latest, Mr McKinnon said, but they were awaiting a commitment on a date for the work to be done.

It was yet to be determined how it would come down, with a geotechnical report saying it may not be a "simple topple" but a "catastrophic blowout".

The meeting on Tuesday was also told Parks Victoria officers had been verbally abused over the issue - at times called "dogs" and "scum" - when all they were trying to do was keep people safe.

"We don't want this here as much as anyone, we want it gone as soon as possible. That's what we're working on. We've been doing a power of work over Christmas and new year," Mr McKinnon said.

He said when the crack in the rock was identified late last year, warning signs were erected but they were ignored and people still sat on their towels underneath it.

Little option was left but to erect a fence after people climbed over a gate installed at the top of the stairs to block access, Mr McKinnon said.

"As a responsible land manager we have to take a safety-first approach and close access when there's a known risk of a landslide or cliff collapse," Mr McKinnon said.

"We know it's disappointing this popular beach has been closed but we will restore access as soon as we can."

He urged people to respect the closure and not put themselves at risk by trying to access the cove.

Peterborough Residents Association president Ronald Irvine said the group was totally supportive of the work being done by Parks Victoria.

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