Wooli’s beachfront gets another facelift as beach-scraping program continues

Program part of coastal management initiative to protect village from severe beach erosion.

Clarence Nationals MP Chris Gulaptis, Wooli Coastal Community Protection Alliance representative and Clarence Valley Mayor Jim Simmons walking in front of the successful sand and dune nourishment project at Wooli Beach discussing its success and plans for the next beach scraping project which will provide further protection. Photo: Debbie Newton

Wooli’s ocean frontage will get another layer of protection with a new round of beach scraping about to start.

The new project comes thanks to $50,000 in NSW Government funding to Clarence Valley Council, Clarence Nationals MP Chris Gulaptis declared at a small ceremony in the village on Friday.

Mr Gulaptis and Wooli’s Coastal Community Protection Alliance president Bruce Bird said previous Wooli projects had worked and so would these new ones because the Wooli community, the Council and NSW Government have found a way to work together successfully.

“This teamwork continues to deliver the joint funding and effective plans that will go on protecting Wooli in a cost effective and environmentally friendly way,” they said.

Mr Gulaptis said $50,000 in funding will allow council to scrape Wooli Beach sand and move it for dune nourishment, building on the success of the 2019 campaign which shifted almost 15,000 cubic metres of sand from the intertidal zone to where it was needed to reduce vulnerability during storms.

“The Wooli community has been proactive in nourishing the beach and protecting its primary asset. They’ve been able to use nature to support the beach environment rather than have nature work against them, so it’s a terrific concept,” Mr Gulaptis said.

“Placing additional sand in at the southern end of Wooli village will reduce the vulnerability during future storms.”

Clarence Valley Mayor Jim Simmons said Council was proud of its partnership with the NSW Government to fund the project as well as a $60,000 scoping study for the Clarence River and a $240,000 grant for Council to work on the next three steps of its Coastal Management Plan.

“This includes developing a risk assessment, examining options and engaging stakeholders before finalising coastal priorities for Clarence Valley and the local community,” Cr Simmons said.

“Protecting the region’s natural assets is important to the people of the Clarence Valley.

“This funding will enable us to better plan for any impacts and changes that may be occurring in the estuaries and along our coastline, while creating a management plan to help protect vulnerable coastal communities such as Wooli.”