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Council forges ahead with seawall plan for Wamberal beach

Council is pushing ahead with a seawall at Wamberal Beach, with a preferred design identified, but Wamberal Save Our Sand has slammed this move.

The Wamberal Beach Terminal Protection and Sand Nourishment Investigation project is now complete and a Cost Benefit Analysis (CBA) has been released on yourvoiceourcoast.com with feedback welcome until March 20.

Council CEO David Farmer said that, by identifying a longterm solution, Council was fulfilling its role as a certifying authority while ensuring legislative obligations were undertaken with guidance from community consultation.

He said by completing the investigation Council had delivered on key management actions of the Coastal Zone Management Plan (CZMP).

“The review of all expert technical studies, extensive community consultation and consideration of Council’s role and legislative responsibility … have highlighted specific criteria for a preferred seawall design as the most effective and viable long-term solution for beach erosion at Wamberal,” Farmer said.

“The preferred seawall design will have the least impact on the beach, as it will be located behind current adhoc coastal protection works.

“Those ad-hoc works would then be removed (resulting) in greater beach width.

“Without terminal protection and the implementation of the long-term strategy, coastal erosion will continue to threaten private homes, public infrastructure and expose adhoc structures.”

Council Administrator Rik Hart said the community has been waiting a long time for a long-term strategy.

“Council has delivered on identifying a preferred terminal protection option based on extensive expert technical studies and data with high consideration to community feedback,” Hart said.

“I acknowledge that there are some groups and residents that are opposed to a seawall and I understand their concerns.

“However, by not progressing with a viable long-term solution for coastal erosion at Wamberal it will only get incrementally worse and require additional emergency works which would negatively impact beach aesthetic and usability.”

Wamberal Beach Save Our Sand (SOS) was “extremely disappointed” to see Council pursue a seawall.

Spokesperson Hugh Naven said: “Council has continued to fail in addressing the real community issues and concerns associated with erosion at Wamberal and has highlighted the lack of respect to the greater community who use the beach.

“Despite ongoing concerns, supported by experts on beach erosion, local resident groups have been ignored and the State Government-led ‘tunnel vision’ of Council has continued to steamroll towards the building of a vertical wall along Wamberal and Terrigal beach that will eventuate in the destruction and permanent loss of both beaches.”

A recent parliamentary petition opposing the seawall received over 2,200 signatures.

Naven said surveys and other engagement activities had been “deliberately skewed” to support a seawall.

“The CBA only investigated seawall options, rather than a wide range of all possible options,” he said.

“The last time a CBA was conducted into all possible options it was revealed a seawall would have the highest costs of all options; Council has entirely ignored this.

“Our group would like to see another Cost Benefit Analysis commissioned, investigating all possible options, including sand nourishment, planned retreat, groynes, artificial reefs and dune revegetation.”

Naven said SOS wants a working group including representatives from Wamberal Beach Surf Life Saving Club, Wamberal Express Boardriders, Wamberal Community Group and other community groups, businesses and coastal experts, as well as dune-front property owners and Council representatives.

“Such a group would allow for open discussion … to ensure all interests are represented in the eventual solution,” he said.

“Wamberal Beach SOS is about doing the right thing for our beach and our community.

“We believe, to achieve this, we need all options investigated.”

Council staff are developing Minimum Engineering Guidelines for future development applications taking into account minimum footprint, length of construction, material selection, landscaping, and maintenance requirements.

A report will come back to council in coming months.

A concept design of the preferred seawall option

Terry Collins

Caring for our community

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