Wollongong muscles in on call for beach taskforce

Wollongong took over Central Coast Council’s motion about sand nourishment for beaches at the NSW Local Government conference in Tamworth this week, insisting that measured retreat was the only option for some coastal properties.

Central Coast Council had put forward a Motion that Local Government NSW should lobby the State Government to establish a Beach Taskforce to assist coastal councils to sustainably access offshore sand to improve beach amenity.

Councillor Corinne Lamont, who had submitted the motion beforehand to Council, which agreed to send it to the conference, was hoping it would be adopted without debate like so many other councils’ motions had been during the day.

But Wollongong councillor Jessica Whittaker asked for the words “the taskforce should also examine options for measured retreat” to be added to the original motion.

Lamont refused to accept the addition.

So, Whittaker put forward an amendment which used Central Coast’s original words and with her measured retreat options added.

“If we are asking the NSW Government to establish a taskforce to look at the issues with coastal erosion on the Central Coast, we don’t have time to waste by only examining one option that is expensive, environmentally damaging, unsustainable into the future and resource intensive,” Whittaker said.

“The reality is measured retreat will be the only option for some coastal properties.

“This is an opportunity to canvas all our options, and beach nourishment might be feasible.

“However, by broadening the scope of the taskforce we have the opportunity to look at other options and start weighing up difficult and expensive decisions that will need to be made into the future.”

The full Motion read:

That Local Government NSW lobbies the NSW Government to establish a NSW Beach Taskforce to develop and administer a program to assist NSW coastal councils to sustainably access offshore sand to return to beach ecosystems to improve beach amenity in a manner consistent with the Coastal Management Act 2016, incidentally protecting property and reducing the need for beach armouring. The taskforce should also examine options for measured retreat.

A councillor from Northern Beaches Council supported the amendment saying every option needed to be looked at as billions of dollars of property was involved and the problem needed to be looked at holistically.

“Offshore mining of sand is environmentally damaging,” the councillor said.

“Measured retreat needs to be included – we might be forced into it.”

The conference delegates then noted and passed the amendment 60 per cent to 40 per cent.

Many councils increasingly face issues with coastal erosion, impacting beach amenity
and property, Council had said in explaining why it had put forward the Motion.

“An effective adaptive response to this issue is sustainable offshore-sourced sand nourishment,” Council said.

“For individual councils, offshore sand nourishment access is limited, especially compared with other states.

“Fortunately, statewide policy and legislation provides access rights to offshore sand sources for beach nourishment, however, councils look for state support with infrastructure and co-ordination to deliver sand nourishment as a ‘shared service’ along the NSW coast, integrated with local council and community action.”

Measured retreat is better known on the Coast as planned retreat and is a concept of preparing responses for sea level rises.

With the amended motion being adopted, the NSW Local Government peak body will now be expected to lobby the State Government for a taskforce.

Meanwhile, a second Central Coast Council motion asking the LGNSW to lobby the State Government to remove its performance improvement order was rejected. (See separate story)