Wamberal Beach Save Our Sand (SOS) says it is sick of not having its voice heard over possible solutions to ongoing erosion and will hold a Line In The Sand protest at the beach at 11am on Sunday, September 11.
Spokesperson, Hugh Naven, said the group had been agitating for many months for a well-researched and representative solution to ensure Wamberal Beach, and everything it has to offer, is not destroyed.
“Sadly, (Wamberal Seawall Advisory Taskforce Chair) Phil Watson, Central Coast Council and Member for Terrigal, Adam Crouch, continue to endorse and promote models for implementing works that are designed to minimise and curtail the opportunity for meaningful opposition and comment,” Naven said.
“Central Coast Council is now setting minimum guidelines for homeowners to follow when introducing their own individual seawalls through DA submissions.
“The introduction of a seawall through DA submissions would likely lead to a disjointed, understudied and misrepresentative outcome that will have adverse impacts on the beach.
“But more importantly, it means the community is unable to have a say about the solution.”
Naven said there was a continued disregard for public sentiment.
“Rather than working with the community to find alternative solutions they persist with pursuing the potentially beach destroying option of a seawall,” he said.
“After two years of campaigning (by SOS), achieving over 2,300 signatures on a petition and acquiring 4,000 group members opposed to the seawall, Council continues to forge ahead and make things easier for homeowners.
“This protest is about drawing a ‘line in the sand’ and telling Council enough is enough.
“Since the start, our voices have been silenced and our opinions ignored.
“We want to have a say about our beach and are not allowed.
“This day is all about the Wamberal community getting a say in the future of their beach.”
A Central Coast Council spokesperson said eExtensive consultation was undertaken to inform the adopted management actions in the Gosford Beaches Coastal Zone Management Plan 2017 (GBCZMP).
“As part of investigations to support the GBCZMP, all feasible management options to address current and future coastal risks at Wamberal Beach were explored,” the spokesperson said.
“These options included planned retreat, offshore reefs, mass sand nourishment and terminal protection works.
“Options were considered in the context of what was legally permissible, financially viable and realistic for Wamberal Beach.
“The adopted way forward to address coastal erosion at Wamberal was beach nourishment coupled with a terminal protection works (seawall) (action item TW15 in the certified GBCZMP).
“In December, 2021, studies to progress these protection works were finialised.
“These studies included three phases of community consultation.
“This project was 50:50 funded by NSW Government through the NSW Coastal and Estuaries Grants Program and resulted in the development of the draft Wamberal Beach Terminal Protection Structure Engineering Design Requirements, which were recently publicly exhibited.”
The spokesperson said Council received 256 submissions during the consultation period on the draft Engineering Design Requirements, which will inform the final Design Requirements.
“A report detailing submissions and recommendations for the adoption of the Engineering Design Requirements will be presented to Council in coming months,” the spokesperson said.
“Once adopted, the Engineering Design Requirements will be used in conjunction with relevant planning legislation to facilitate the assessment of development applications for the terminal protection works.”
For more details on the September 11 protest contact 0403558980 or nowallforwamberal@gmail.com.
Terry Collins
Totally insensitive choice of day for protesting. Have some respect.