Works starts on $3.6m seawall at Nambucca Heads
Mother Nature can be a beast, so a fire, flood and storm weary Mid-North Coast town is building a massive concrete wall. See what’s planned.
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Nambucca Heads, a premier holiday hotspot on the Mid-North Coast, will shut down one of its prime tourist attractions in a bid to save it.
Work will start Monday on a massive and challenging project which will include a four-metre high and 180-metre long concrete wall at Main Beach.
The seawall is designed to protect the coastline, Nambucca Heads Surf Club and carpark which were all undermined by a steam-train of East Coast Lows in 2009.
Mayor Rhonda Hoban said the $3.6 million project was beyond council’s resources - “over 25 years we might have got somewhere doing little bits at a time” - but could proceed on the back of a state Bushfire Local Economic Recovery Fund grant.
The Nambucca Valley was torched in the 2019 Black Spring/Summer fires, losing 60-odd homes, and the NSW government is using the fund to sponsor projects which will boost economic activity in communities recovering from the fires.
To that end, deputy premier Paul Toole and Emergency Services Minister Steph Cooke were on hand at the beach on Tuesday, July 26, to inspect the site.
But the build will come at a cost - as the popular beach and access road will be closed for the duration of the project.
Nambucca Valley Council engineering assistant Ben Fuller said he hopes Main Beach will re-open by Christmas.
Mr Fuller said concrete for the wall, which will run the length of the carpark, will be poured on-site.
“Construction can only be done around the low tides and it’s important that we keep the public away because it will be extremely dangerous,” Mr Fuller said.
“There will be no nippers until we get it sorted.”
Other aspects of the project will include an extension of concrete bleachers near the surf club, a new stormwater drainage system and a viewing platform.
Ms Hoban said the pause in beach access was necessary.
“It’s (Main Beach) a key for our local tourism industry and it’s a favourite for the locals,” she said.
Ms Hoban said the beach was precious for one local resident who lost her home in the Kian Road mega fire.
“Part of the healing was for her was to be able to bring her children to the area,” she said.
Local MP Melinda Pavey said the engineered seawall will provide essential protection of community assets.
“In high tides it is not unusual to have to drive through water from the beach which has made its way past the (existing) seawall and flooded parts of the road and the carpark,” Ms Pavey said.
“The new and improved seawall will provide added benefits, helping to prevent the shoreline from washing away in the event of big swells and stormfronts, and preserving our popular beach and coastline so it can be enjoyed for many years to come.”
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