FRANKSTON Council has delayed seeking an independent panel investigation of land instability near Olivers Hill until after it has finished hearing from property owners.

Cr Christine Richards said "the desire is to get it right" before asking a panel to approve erosion management controls for the area.

Residents claim the controls in the form of a planning overlay could increase building costs and reduce land values.

Councillors considered written submissions last month but then decided to invite residents to another meeting before following their officers' recommendations for controls.

Geotechnical advice given to the council in 2005 made a series of

recommendations to deal with

development on valuable but unstable building sites stretching from south of Olivers Hill to above Daveys Bay.

The studies commissioned by the council ended north of Gulls Way, just one block depth from Kackeraboite Creek, the boundary with Mornington Peninsula Shire.

These blocks and others bounded by Yamala Drive, Nepean Highway and Gulls Way may be included in later geotechnical studies.

Cr Richards told The Independent the issue had been running for six years but the council was "looking forward" to hearing from the panel over what controls were necessary and whether geotechnical reports would be required for all works.

"One argument it to leave it to owners," Cr Richards said.

"The other hot potato is that some owners have done a lot of work on geotechnical aspects of the area already.

" Reports can cost thousands of dollars, and we don't want to unnecessarily repeat exercises if they don't need to be done."

In the same area, further talks are being held between the council, the Department of Sustainability and Environment and several property owners over walls built on the beach to protect against wave erosion.

Council officers said the property owners each faced fines of up to $136,000 plus costs for building the walls on public land.

Cr Richards said summonses had been issued but the council had deferred taking further action.

"There are difficulties attached to that area where people need to walk. The landowners themselves will have an active role in protecting the cliff face.

"If landowners are cowboys, action will be prosecuted, but I want a solution that means the cliff will be protected and owners' properties protected. Essentially, it would not be fruitful to proceed with prosecution when we're building a team approach to fixing the area."