A paper presented to the 2016 NSW Coastal Conference on Thursday, November 10, by Coastal Engineer, Mr Doug Lord, referred to Wamberal Beach as “the forgotten twin”.
“It’s a good call, because the recently amalgamated Central Coast Council has certainly dumped this unwanted child,” said Mr Pat Aiken, Secretary of the Coastal Residents Association. “While residents at Collaroy/Narrabeen Beach have been given a high level of support during and following the east coast low storm event of June this year, Central Coast Council has denied residents advice they promised, and has denied those residents the right to protect their properties in the face of the major coastal threat of coastal erosion, and to secure public safety,” Mr Aiken said.
“One resident has been told to remove 300, onetonne sand bags, placed on his own land, because they were the wrong fabric,” he said. “At Collaroy, they threw everything into the protection of homes, including the shell of a damaged swimming pool. “Just what does the Central Coast Council expect these desperate owners to do – watch their homes ripped apart by the next storm? “What has caused this huge disparity? “Is it the fact that the Northern Beaches electorates are represented by a Premier, State Ministers Hazard and Stokes, and ex-Prime Minister, Tony Abbott?
“Or is it just plain old draconian government will that we have seen imposed on people who have offered to pay for the cost of temporary protection while they wait for the “long-promised Wamberal Revetment?” “Beachfront property owners have offered to contribute to this 25 plus year proposal, now supposedly a critical part of Council’s Coastal Zone Management Plan for Wamberal Beach. “It will also protect a major arterial road, major services and hundreds of private homes. “Just a few hundred metres south, Council has spent millions over past years to protect Terrigal CBD businesses, public assets and private dwellings.
“They continue to provide this coastal protection today by installing a rock wall on the northern end of Terrigal, denied at Wamberal for 25 years. “Major storms in the past have destroyed homes and resulted in fear that the Wamberal Beach dune system would be breached, and still no action. “Just get on with it and apply for the State and Federal funding that is available together with the contribution of residents willing to contribute to the cost of what could become a world class tourist facility. “That’s if the Council can be visionary and willing to take the Central Coast Region forward. “This is not what was promised by Premier Baird and past Minister for the Central Coast, Mr Stokes. “Amalgamation was meant to give the Central Coast Region a fresh start, not drive it into the dark ages,” Mr Aiken said.
Media release, Nov 7, 2016 Pat Aiken, Coastal Residents Association Central Coast