Wamberal Beach: Council calls for area to be declared ‘state of emergency’
Central Coast Council has called for the disaster at Wamberal to be declared a ‘state of emergency’ after high tides caused homes to partly crumble into the ocean.
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The disaster unfolding at Wamberal Beach has come before Central Coast Council, with a lot of residents tuning into the online meeting eager for answers and promises.
Councillors unanimously voted to call on the State Government to declare a ‘state of emergency’ across the region with high tides causing homes to partly crumble into the ocean at Wamberal, while North Entrance has also been affected by major erosion.
The council acknowledged anger and frustration in the community and indicated safety was its number one priority with a commitment to continue to assist residents and plan for a long-term solution at Wamberal.
“There is a lot of anger and concern and we need to acknowledge that,” chief executive officer Gary Murphy said. “We can’t shy away from that.”
Mayor Lisa Matthews said “the absolute priority is the safety and wellbeing of residents and the surrounding community”.
Some councillors argued that residents whose properties had been damaged by the high tides should be able to carry out emergency works immediately, while others said the council needed to be careful what they authorise for legal reasons.
In the end they voted for the council not take any “regulatory action” on residents who carry out works in the next month as long as they have certain approvals and do not affect other properties.
The council’s environment and planning director Scott Cox said applications for emergency works were being made to Local Emergency Operations Controller LEOCON on a case-by-case basis.
Cr Greg Best said the time for talk was over, especially with more high tides predicted in the coming week.
“People want action and they want it now,” he said. “One more east coast low and that beach at Wamberal and North Entrance is going to be strewn with debris and property. These people are looking down the barrel of losing everything. We should be giving them the green light to help themselves.”
Mr Cox gave an update on the issue at Wamberal, following the evacuation of 18 properties earlier on Monday. Security fencing is going up with security guards to patrol.
He said a team of engineers and public works consultants were working on designs for emergency coastal protection works which he hoped would be in action this week.
Mr Cox said council staff were doing daily collections of asbestos on the beach.
Council staff also indicated it had been working with the State Government to identify any opportunities to secure funding for emergency and clean up works.
Wamberal residents were given a two hour window on both Sunday and Monday to move their belongings out before evacuation. They have been informed they will not be allowed back into their homes for at least four weeks while assessments are carried out.
There were plenty of emotions during the evacuation which turned to anger with many residents saying the council was to blame regarding its lack of action regarding construction of a seawall.
In 2018 council received State Government funding and matched it, resulting in more than $400,000, towards seawall and beach nourishment designs.
The council states that in May this year they engaged Manly Hydraulics Laboratory to prepare concept plans for a “terminal protection structure at Wamberal”.
Mr Cox said the design consultant for the revetment wall was planning to meet with residents in August.
Prior to Monday night’s meeting there were calls for Central Coast Council to step aside.
The blame regarding council’s lack of actions over the years around construction of a seawall was front as centre as 18 properties along Ocean View Dr were evacuated on Monday.
Residents had a two-hour widow on Monday afternoon during low tide to take what they needed, with authorities advising they will not be allowed back for at least four weeks until full assessments have been carried out.
Chris Rogers, his wife and two daughters were madly packing before the council fenced off their house at 2.30pm. It is now illegal for the family to enter for four weeks.
Mr Rogers was livid at the council’s lack of action regarding a seawall at Wamberal Beach, calling on others to join the call for the resignation of Mayor Lisa Matthews and Deputy Mayor, and former mayor, Jane Smith.
“I am angry … frustrated and angry,” he said.
“This should have been avoided if, after the 2016 storms both here and Collaroy, council had done what they should have done. Nothing has been done since. Mayor Lisa Matthews and Deputy Mayor Jane Smith need to stand up and resign or be removed.
“I’m saying to all residents, the dog walkers, homeowners, beach walkers and surfers, everybody needs to demand that they resign.”
While residents have been asking council to take action since the 1970s, calls were ramped up after the 2016 storms which ravaged the coastline and damaged homes.
In 2018, $415,000 was allocated to designs of a seawall and beach nourishment however no action has eventuated.
Mr Rogers, whose backyard is teetering on the edge of collapse, said this was not the only time coast residents had been let down by council.
“What about Tuggerah Lakes (flooding) along with the hundreds of thousands of residents with logical DAs and projects held up,” he said.
“They are pathetic. They have no understanding of how to collaborate with people for a solution. We’re not asking for a miracle, just common sense and an engineered structure.
“We need to get rid of them and we have the platform.”
Many other Ocean View Dr residents have voiced their frustrations.
“Council need to step aside,” beachfront homeowner Gordon Cahill said.
“There should be one order of business. They should relinquish control of the situation to the State Government and residents.”
Mr Cahill and his family are moving out of their beachfront home — one of the worst impacted by the disaster, with its huge back deck collapsing after it was battered by waves over the weekend.
The family will remain on the property, choosing to live in a small cottage and their caravan.
He said the council had consistently stopped people from protecting their homes.
“We are sick of people saying you can't do anything unless everyone else does it,” he said.
“There have been so many excuses. The council once said we can’t build a wall as we will lose the beach. Well guess what … we lost the beach anyway. Another was it would cost $750,000 in sand nourishment each year if we build a wall. But people around here are willing to pay.
“People want to be able to take responsibility for their places but they are not allowed to.
“We just want to be able to live our lives and protect our properties.”
Ocean View Dr resident Margaret Brice echoed the call for powers to be taken from council’s hands.
“We need urgent action to get things done and allow people to protect their homes. It was council who said we could originally build here. It was council who initially suggested the seawall,” she said.
She said if the dune gave way, it would destroy Wamberal.
“The dune is 9m above sea level and the road is 3m above sea level. If that dune goes, everything will go,” she said.
“Since 2016 council has refused DAs for infrastructure for people to support their homes and also refused sandbags. Council has consistently prevented us from protecting our properties. It’s time for someone else to step in. It’s just a terrible situation.”
Mrs Brice said a working party was set up to handle the seawall designs, however hadn’t met since September 2019.
Prior to Monday night’s meeting, attempts were made to contact the council, mayor and deputy mayor for comment. The Express Advocate was referred to the council’s website for updates.
COUNCIL’S UPDATE
Council has continued to work with NSW State Emergency Service, essential services ad local residents who are leading the emergency recovery at Wamberal.
“Public works engineers are on site and continuing their important assessments which are informing the operation,” a statement released this afternoon read.
“Leading coastal engineering consultancy Royal Haskoning DHV will provide recommendations for recovery actions to mitigate further beach erosion in the short term.
“Welfare agencies are continuing to contact the affected properties daily to assess any needs and provide ongoing support including accommodation. 18 properties, amounting to 43 residences are impacted with ten residents being provided with temporary accommodation.
Utilities including power, gas and water have been switched off to affected properties.”
Council stated that in May this year, it engaged Manly Hydraulics Laboratory to prepare concept plans for a terminal protection structure at Wamberal to assist with a long-term solution. It is also developing Coastal Management Programs to be completed by 2021.
LOCAL MPS HAVE THEIR SAY
Central Coast Parliamentary Secretary Adam Crouch has warned the danger is not over.
“The tide and weather forecasts for this week are not positive,” he said.
“Even at low tide, water is reaching the back of Wamberal Beach and any additional swell could prove detrimental to private property.”
He said the current circumstances at Wamberal Beach are “regrettable and a direct result of Central Coast Council’s inaction”.
“Council is the statutory authority for this location and the NSW Government continues to offer financial and technical assistance.”
Central Coast Shadow Minister David Harris has called on NSW Premier Gladys
Berejiklian to appoint a minister to take control of the coastal erosion disaster at Wamberal and North Entrance.
“It’s not good enough for the State Government to continue to cost shift responsibility onto
ratepayers and then point the finger at Central Coast Council who they created and under-resourced,” he said.
”This issue needs a concrete solution that finally addresses the long run issue of coastal erosion. Coastal erosion is too big of an issue for councils to deal alone.”