Posted on March 10, 2025
Waves as large as 17 metres have battered the coastline, with damaging effects expected to last for years to come.
As Ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred made its way towards our coastline, millions across the country were left stunned by the ferocious weather conditions — with some watching the waves rolling in with awe, while others ignored warnings to take advantage of the rare surf conditions.
But what’s clear for all to see is that beaches up and down the east coast have been battered by the weather event not seen so far south in over 50 years. One freak 17-metre wave was recorded near Brisbane.
Photos show drop offs as steep as six metres on Queensland beaches from Surfers Paradise down to Coolangatta and into New South Wales beaches like Duranbah and Kingscliff where the damaging waves have ripped the sand away from the beach and washed it away.
University of the Sunshine Coast’s Dr. Javier Leon told Yahoo News an unfortunate consequence of the wild conditions is that the important dunes could take “years” to recover.
Beaches are ‘very resilient’ but will take a long time to recover
Debris and beach erosion is seen at Duranbah Beach in Northern New South Wales.
Beach erosion at Kingscliff in Northern New South Wales.
Sand dunes play a vital role in the environment, creating a natural flood barrier and a buffer for wind erosion as well as being used as a nesting ground for native birds and turtles.
“Beaches are very resilient and great at adapting to waves. The erosion we are observing is a result of sand moving offshore due to energetic conditions,” Dr. Leon told Yahoo. “This makes waves break offshore and acts as a barrier.”
As conditions go back to normal, Dr Leon said that much of this sand will come back to shore. “The rate of this recovery depends on upcoming conditions but usually takes weeks to months. Dunes take longer to recover,” he said.
“In some cases, it might take years for dunes to come back to pre-cyclone conditions.”
Acting Gold Coast Mayor Donna Gates echoed this. “We’ll be really anxious to see our beaches recover over time,” she told the ABC. “It will take some time. There’s 4m to 6m escarpment”
In the coming days and weeks, authorities may need to intervene to help return the beaches to their natural state.
“On places where erosion has been extreme, dunes might have been overtopped and sand from beaches might have moved too offshore or swept away by strong currents,” Dr Leon said. “In such cases, interventions like beach nourishment might be needed to restore the beach and dunes.”
He added that it’s “important to stay away” from the dunes as they start to recover.
Cyclone downgraded to tropical low but 800mm of rain predicted
Since making landfall, Cyclone Alfred has been downgraded to a tropical low, but its effects have been well and truly felt through Queensland’s southeast and northern NSW.
The Bureau of Meteorology’s latest advice indicates the low is sustaining winds near its centre of 55km/h with wind gusts of up to 85km/h with 800mm of rain predicted within the region.
The heaviest rainfall until the system has moved inland, the Bureau’s Christine Johnston said on ABC Breakfast. Ms Johnston added the risk of massive rain totals and life-threatening flash-flooding had “increased” in the Sunshine Coast and Wide Bay-Burnett areas, given the shift of the heaviest rainfall occurring north of Brisbane, rather than south.
