Posted on June 19, 2024
Owners of multi-million dollar homes hugging NSW’s coastline are desperately looking for a solution to fix a major problem before it’s too late.
Coastal erosion has been badly impacting dozens of beaches along the coast, with homes in Sydney’s Collaroy and the Central Coast’s Wamberal among those teetering on the edge of ruin.
And while it has been four years since Wamberal beach suffered extensive erosion following a huge storm in 2020, little has been done in terms of a long-term solution to save the at-risk homes. Even in 2020 the issue had long been ongoing, with resident Warren Hughes telling Yahoo News Australia he was “extremely upset” with the lack of action.
“All we ever wanted to do… was have the right as a basic Australian to protect our property,” he said.
Wamberal properties pictured in 2020 amid a damaging storm. Source: Getty
Proposals of a seawall, like one built on one section of Collaroy beach, have been met with resistance, one some beachgoers do not favour, the ABC reported.
Expert says government needs to step in
One solution gaining momentum is sand nourishment, where sand is dredged from the seabed and dumped onto the beach. Coastal engineer Angus Gordon told the ABC councils along the coast should band together and form a shared sand nourishment program and called on the state government to take the lead and to contribute to the costs.
“The secret is to carry it out on a large scale. The only sensible way to work it is for the state government to take leadership,” he said.
