Wamberal: State Government forms task-force to design seawall

A new task-force has been formed to come up with a design for a permament seawall to protect Wamberal homes from washing into the sea.

• Coronavirus Central Coast: Resident tests positive after overseas trip
• Fred Hollows Humanity Award nominations open to Year 6 students

The NSW Government has formed a task-force to design a long-term seawall to fix the coastal erosion issues at Wamberal Beach.

Terrigal State Liberal MP Adam Crouch said the recent erosion has highlighted the vulnerability of the area and the urgent need for Central Coast Council to plan and deliver a long-term solution.

“Community confidence in council is at rock bottom and we have witnessed years of go-nowhere discussions between Council and local residents,” Mr Crouch said.

This aerial photo shows homes perched on Australia's eastern coastal town of Wamberal that are at risk of being swept away on July 28, 2020. (Photo by PETER PARKS / AFP)

“The Coastal Management Act makes it crystal clear that council has responsibility for the management of Wamberal Beach and this will not change.

“The Task-force’s purpose is to bring together key experts and stakeholders, and assist council with the planning and delivery of this long-term solution.

“Building a wall will be complex but is essential to protect the hundreds of millions of dollars of public and private assets along Ocean View Drive.”

An excavator and workers on site at Wamberal on Tuesday morning, July 28, where emergency works to prevent further erosion appear to be working. Picture: Richard Noone

Mr Crouch said key areas of focus will include the review and design of a terminal protection structure for Wamberal, investigating sources of sand and the feasibility of beach nourishment as well as seeking priority capital and operational funding required.

The task-force will be chaired by Dr Phil Watson, an internationally recognised coastal engineer with extensive experience in coastal management.

Dr Watson has already played a key role in assisting with the emergency response to the situation at Wamberal.

Erosion site at Wamberal beach on July 28 2020. Picture: Central Coast Council

The task-force will supersede a council task-force established 18 months ago also charged with coming up with a seawall design.

Local Government Minister Shelley Hancock said the State Government is committed to helping councils respond to existing and future challenges arising from coastal management.

She said she wanted plans for a wall on her desk within as little as six months.

“The government has already provided $213,118 for council to develop plans for a long-term solution for Wamberal, and we stand ready to assist council further,” Mrs Hancock said.

Homes along Ocean View Drive in Wamberal continue to teeter on the edge as high tides threaten to further erode sand and cause the foundations to wash away. Picture: Toby Zerna

With Wamberal declared a Significant Open Coast Location, council can apply for funding to implement actions in its Coastal Zone Management Plan (CZMP) at any time.

“I encourage council to implement actions outlined in its CZMP to mitigate the risk of coastal erosion and to work with the Government to obtain funding to implement solutions. To that end, I have instructed my department to rapidly assess any funding applications received from the council.”

Pictured is Gordon Cahill, 55 and his daughter Matilda, 18. Their house has been in the family for 35 years. Picture: David Swift

MEMBERS OF THE TASK-FORCE

Dr Phil Watson, independent chair;

Adam Crouch MP, Parliamentary Secretary for the Central Coast and Member for Terrigal;

Gary Murphy, CEO of Central Coast Council;

For the duration of her appointment as Local Recovery Coordinator, Lee Shearer APM, to ensure a seamless transition from the recovery phase;

A representative from the Department of Planning, Industry and Environment (Energy and science Group);

A representative from the Department of Planning, Industry and Environment (Planning and Assessment); and

A representative from Department of Planning, Industry and Environment (Crown Lands).

It’s been two weeks since high tides saw homes started to crumble into the ocean

Backyards, decks, brick walls, shade sails and private steps have washed away or continue to teeter on the edge of the dune.

The disaster saw the evacuation of 18 properties on Ocean View Dr, including 55 residents, with a lot of local anger directed towards Central Coast Council for not having acted on building a seawall despite years of lobbying from residents.

Emergency works have been carried out at the site, with council using all rock bags in Australia to stabilise the site. Workers laid 260 two tonne bags, as well as tonnes of large rocks in front of the most affected properties.

Further high tides and dangerous surf conditions hit the coast earlier this week, causing great concern for residents, however the rock bags managed to do the job in preventing further erosion.

One thousand additional rock bags have been ordered from Japan and are expected to arrive today, with works set to resume as early as Sunday.