Wamberal and North Entrance erosion emergency work costs revealed

The multimillion dollar cost of emergency erosion works at Wamberal and The Entrance North has been revealed. Now the council will lobby the state government to recover the bill.

The cost to prevent multimillion dollar beachfront properties from collapsing into the sea at Wamberal and The Entrance North has been revealed.

A report to next week’s council meeting states the cost of emergency works from the July 2020 weather event reached $2,886,640 million.

Following the devastating erosion at Wamberal, which collapsed backyards, structures and threatened dozens of homes, council exhausted Australia’s supply of 260 large two-tonne rock bags and ordered 1000 more bags from Japan.

Council exhausted Australia’s supply of large rock bags used to hold the sand and minimise sand erosion at Wamberal. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Darren Leigh Roberts

About 520 tonnes of rock in bags were placed at the toe of the emergency erosion works with another 1100 tonnes of large individual rocks placed at the base of the sand dune.

A further 11000 tonnes of large rocks were placed at The Entrance North.

The report states the cost of the Wamberal works was $2,071,918 with the cost at The Entrance North reaching $814,722.

Excavators, Bobcats and tractors at The Entrance North moving sand back up the beach where erosion has washed it away. Picture: Richard Noone

In September the council lodged grant applications for both Wamberal and The Entrance North under the NSW Coast and Estuary grant program seeking a 50 per cent reimbursement, the maximum available under that grant scheme.

On November 19 the council was advised the funding application for Wamberal was successful with up to $992,501 made available.

However on the same day it was told the application for The Entrance North was refused.

“The Entrance North is ineligible for funding, as there is not a certified plan in

place for this area,” the council was told.

“For emergency work to be eligible for funding through the Coastal and Estuary Grants Program the work must be identified in a certified coastal zone management plan, emergency action sub plan or coastal management program for the area.”

A massive crane prepares to move rock bags to form a break wall after erosion from heavy seas have left many waterfront Wamberal homes teetering on the breach of collapse. (NCA NEWSWIRE / Troy Snook)

Meanwhile, the council is preparing a variation request to recoup an additional $43,458 for the Wamberal works while a further claim has been prepared to try and recover the balance of costs from the NSW Public Works Advisory.

“Beyond this, further opportunities for partial cost recovery may still be available in accordance with provisions within section 61 of the State Emergency and Rescue Management Act 1989,” the council report states.

The erosion caused widespread damage including to several homes. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Troy Snook

The report recommends council administrator Dick Persson write to the NSW Premier seeking reimbursement of the total cost of works undertaken.

Should council be unsuccessful in obtaining any further funds, the report states it should seek to have the bill for the emergency works credited towards the cost of a permanent solution at both locations.

It comes as the Wamberal Seawall Advisory Taskforce is expected to meet at the end of the month when it will be updated on Manly Hydraulics Laboratory’s concept designs for five possible seawall plans.

Terrigal State Liberal MP Adam Crouch said council would have been eligible for more funding had their been management plans in place for Wamberal and The Entrance North.

“I am disappointed that Central Coast Council missed the opportunity to receive funding as a result of their failure to have in place a certified Coastal Zone Management Plan or Coastal Management Program,” he said.

“The NSW Government has communicated the need for a certified Coastal Zone Management Plan or Coastal Management Program to Council staff on multiple occasions.”