Battle over seawall continues

The Save Our Sand (SOS) group has accused Central Coast Council Administrator Rik Hart of exaggerating cost estimates for sand nourishment at Wamberal beach.

The group says coastal engineer Angus Gordon has said the Administrator’s figures are wrong.

According to Gordon, the Administrator inflated sand nourishment costs by more than 10 times, an SOS spokesperson said.

“Other Councils, including the Gold Coast, have secured sand nourishment for a fraction of the cost Mr Hart quoted, ‘rainbowing’ sand onto the beach from a floating vessel,” they said.

SOS volunteer Mark Lamont said it seemed the Administrator had quoted inflated sand nourishment figures on air to justify Council’s support of a seawall the community does not want.

“In 2017, Gold Coast Council nourished their surfing beaches for $4.63 per cubic metre and we have Mr Hart telling the community that sand nourishment would cost more than 20 times that, $100 per cubic metre,” he said.

SOS also took exception to Hart’s on-air claim that Lamont suggested Wamberal Beach sand nourishment would require 36,000 truck movements.

“I have never suggested any truck movements to nourish Wamberal Beach with sand,” Lamont said.

“No-one at SOS is suggesting anything like that.

“We are pressing NSW, federal and local governments for sustainable, lower cost sand nourishment delivered by a floating hopper dredge, spraying the sand straight onto the beach – zero truck movements.

“That’s how it is done at many other surf beaches around Australia.”

SOS also asked how many concrete truck movements would be required to construct a seawall and how such trucks would impact on local roads.

“(Council has said) there is currently a lot of sand at Wamberal Beach, that they have no immediate plans for sand nourishment, and they are waiting for more details regarding a sand nourishment trial at Stockton Beach.

“Angus Gordon who advised that Council does not need to wait for Stockton Beach findings; hopper dredge based sand nourishment has occurred at many other Australian beaches over many years.

“A growing number of Wamberal beachfront land owners have expressed interest in sand nourishment as a better solution than a seawall.

“Council needs to be more informed to better support the community, including beachfront property owners.”

But a Council spokesperson said Gordon had acknowledged that “rainbowing” of sand onto beaches from offshore sources for private coastal protection works is not something that is permitted under NSW law.

“Council understands that the current trial program at Stockton does not involve private coastal protection works,” they said.

“Studies undertaken by Manly Hydraulics Laboratory in 2021 found that the current rate of sand replenishment required due to natural recession and erosion of Wamberal Beach is 78,000 cubic metres every 10 years.

“Their study also found that a vertical seawall located landward of the active beach zone, as is being proposed, contributes no additional requirements for sand nourishment to Wamberal Beach beyond the 78,000 cubic metres every 10 years that is required due to natural recession and erosion.
Council said similar studies undertaken in 2002 by Manly Hydraulics Laboratory found that mass sand nourishment, for the purposes of private protection, would require an initial supply of 900,000 cubic metres of sand, and an additional 200,000 cubic metres every 10 years.

“With an offshore source of sand not currently available, this would require the material to be sourced from onshore and trucked to the site as suggested by Mr Hart,” Council said.

“That this is both an unpalatable approach, and that there are no suitable land-based sources that can supply these volumes of material for beach nourishment, are some of the very reasons why mass sand nourishment as a stand-alone solution for Wamberal Beach remains unviable.

“Following resolutions of Council, Council has made representations to higher levels of government advocating that sand nourishment (from offshore sources) of areas severely impacted by coastal erosion should be provided to coastal communities.

“To date, there has been no change in the current restrictive regulatory environment.

“Council remains committed to addressing the current coastal risks at Wamberal Beach through implementation of the actions identified in the Gosford Beaches Coastal Zone Management Plan.

“These actions were developed in consultation with the community, endorsed by the elected Gosford City Council, supported by the expert Coastal Panel (chaired by Angus Gordon), and certified by the NSW Government.”

Terry Collins