Residents have until September 10 to comment on five seawall concept designs under consideration as a permanent solution to ongoing erosion problems at Wamberal Beach, but the Wamberal Save Our Sand (SOS) group remains adamant that a revetment wall is not the answer.
Central Coast Council has released Stages 1-4 of technical studies developed to inform decision-making around a long-term solution, outlining five seawall concept designs – ranging from revetment to vertical and promenade style structures – with concept design renders, cross-section drawings and footprint mapping developed for each option to assist with visualising the potential solutions.
The first design is for a basalt rock revetment, topped by a concrete wave deflector, and the second outlines a sandstone rock revetment.
Designs three and four are for a vertical seawall while the fifth option in a tiered vertical seawall topped by a promenade.
The promenade would include landscape designing, viewing platforms, seating., lighting, shower facilities and artworks.
Central Coast Council Acting Director Environment and Planning, Luke Sulkowski said, the second phase of community consultation would allow residents to provide initial feedback on the available options.
“The current release of technical studies meets a key objective of Council’s certified Gosford Beaches Coastal Zone Management Plan (CZMP) which includes an action to investigate long-term solutions for Wamberal Beach and seek community input into a preferred protection solution,” Sulkowski said.
“It is important to note that Council’s role through the CZMP is to outline a preferred protection solution, but the delivery of any solution is a separate and currently unfunded process.
“The Stage 5 and 6 studies, which are still under review, will include an updated Cost Benefit Analysis and will be available to the community around the end of August.
“Final seawall alignment, access points and terminal ends would need to be determined during the detailed design phase of the project.”
Council Administrator, Rik Hart, said delivery of a long-term erosion solution at Wamberal was currently not funded and proceeding with any solution would require a funding commitment from the NSW or Federal Government.
“There are many technical, financial, social and environmental complexities that need to be worked through to develop a long-term solution,” Hart said.
“Technical studies and concept design renders are an important step forward in the exploration of a long-term solution, but it needs to be clearly understood that delivery of any solution at Wamberal Beach is not yet funded.
“We also need to consider that on top of the initial cost to develop a new asset of this scale there are significant ongoing maintenance and other costs.
“For the best coastal erosion management solutions to be developed and delivered it is vital that all levels of government, residents and the broader community work together.
“Following the release of all technical studies and a thorough community consultation process we will have a full understanding of the funding commitment that would need to be forthcoming from the NSW and/or Federal Government in order to deliver a long-term erosion solution at Wamberal Beach.”
The technical studies now available to the community represent a $498,996 investment and were 50/50 funded by Council and the NSW Government through the NSW Coastal and Estuaries Grants Program, inclusive of an additional $36,380 from the NSW Government for the renders and additional engagement.
Parliamentary Secretary for the Central Coast, Adam Crouch, said as well as being a key objective of Council’s CZMP, the technical studies are an important milestone for the Wamberal Seawall Advisory Taskforce.
Established by the NSW Government in July 2020 to provide Council with support to develop a sustainable long-term solution, Crouch said the role of the Taskforce is to “break down bureaucratic barriers and provide technical expertise to Council”.
“The Taskforce is chaired by coastal expert Dr Phil Watson and so far has provided advice to Council on a range of Crown Lands, resource supply, legal and engineering issues,” Crouch said.
“We must protect the beach itself as well as the hundreds of millions of dollars of public and private assets behind it.
“I want to ensure that the best possible long-term solution is developed as a product of community input, and that is why the NSW Government has provided an additional $36,380 to cover the cost of this community consultation.”
But SOS spokesperson, Hugh Naven, said the group was disappointed that a seawall was the only option on the table.
“Our group has been campaigning against a sea wall all along,” Naven said.
“The community consultation is totally inadequate, as it has been throughout the entire process.
“Many people in the Wamberal community feel wedged into a corner where whatever we say seems to endorse a seawall whereas we have always advocated sand nourishment.
“There is no option to discuss other solutions.
“All the decisions seem to be based on the dated CZMP – they have taken solutions suggested in that even though community support is lacklustre.”
A post on the group’s Facebook page accuses the Council of ignoring community concerns completely.
It claims that with no sitting councillors, the Council can continue with plans for a seawall regardless of what the community wants.
On Council’s proposal to nourish Wamberal Beach using crushed sandstone from the Sydney Metro West Tunnel, the group remains non-committal.
“We have always endorsed sand nourishment, but it seems if we endorsed this plan it would come with a seawall,” Naven said.
“If it was a single solution we would be fully on board.”
Meanwhile the Community Environment Network (CEN) has welcomed Council Administrator Rik Hart’s in-principal agreement for preliminary risk assessments and more detailed environmental impact assessments to be undertaken for the import proposal.
“The environmental consequences of using crushed sandstone from the Sydney Metro West Tunnel to nourish Wamberal Beach must be fully examined before going ahead,” CEN Chair, Gary Chestnut said.
“Risks must not be overlooked in the haste to find cost-effective solutions to ongoing erosion problems.
“CEN looks forward to a comprehensive Environment Impact Statement (EIS) to fully explore all environmental, social and economic issues.
“We are concerned that the material being considered is excavated sandstone that will need to be crushed and screened which may come with more environmental risk than sand from another beach or offshore.”
Chestnut said CEN would do its best to ensure environmental assessments thoroughly examine the impacts of silt which the imported material would be sure to contain.
Community members can provide feedback on the technical studies (Stages 1-4) until September 10 by visiting yourvoiceourcoast.com
Terry Collins