Sydney storms: Wendy Harmer and protesters from 14 years ago still opposed to sea walls despite the devastation

Comedian and ABC radio star Wendy Harmer and husband Brendan Donahue took part in the 2002 protest against a 1km sea defence at Collaroy, where beach homes could be bulldozed after the storms.

• Another 12 metres could be lost at Collaroy

COMEDIAN and radio personality Wendy Harmer has been fighting for 14 years against a sea wall that could have stopped the surging surf destroying 10 multimillion-dollar beachfront homes.

The Manly Daily reports that the presenter and her conservationist husband Brendan Donohue, who live on high ground about 400m from the sand, have been lobbying to stop the surf barrier in front of homes on Collaroy Beach.

A stretch of houses and a four-storey unit block are in danger of collapsing after this week’s east coast low and a series­ of king tides undermined their foundations.

Wendy Harmer was part of the protests in 2002 with her husband but has now believes a balance can be reached over the sea wall.

Brendan Donohoe from Surfrider Foundation is opposed to sea walls, was part of a 3000-strong protest in Collaroy/Narrabeen in 2003 against it. Picture: Braden Fastier

Wendy Harmer with Greens leader Richard Di Natale at a public breakfast at Narrabeen surf club in October ast year. Picture: Annika Enderborg

Plans for that sandstone wall were withdrawn.

Donahue, an ocean conservationist with Surfrider Foundation Australia, yesterday said he is opposed to any sea wall because it would lead to sand disappearing from the beach.

SHOULD A SEA WALL BE BUILT AT COLLAROY? Comment below

On her ABC 702 radio program yesterday, Harmer told her listeners had the wall gone ahead in 2002, it would “actually scour the beach and it was believed that there would be no beach left so it wasn’t a very good solution”.

Protesters linking arms on the beach in 2002.

Narrabeen and Collaroy residents hold signs and protest their opposition towards the sea wall extension plans in November 2012

In November 2002, Harmer and Donohue led a protest against a $12 million sea wall, proposed by Warringah Council, with 3000 people linking arms along a 1.1km stretch of beach.

“The water just smashes up against (sea walls) and scours all the sand away … your property would have been protected but then off the edge of your lawn would have been just a steep drop and no beach.”

Donohoe yesterday said: “The simple fact is we are opposed to sea walls. Sea walls kill beaches. It’s not an aesthetic thing. We have been working hard since 2002 to look at alternatives to protect those houses. It’s not as if we just walked away.

A bulldozer moves large bolders to build a temporary wall as protection against further swell surges at Collaroy. Picture: Toby Zerna

The severe damage to beachfront properties at Collaroy. Picture: Toby Zerna

Tony Gagorski looks out over what used to be his back yard at Collaroy. Picture: Toby Zerna

“The defence of property, we understand it’s significant and important but beaches are more important.”

After her radio show, Harmer told The Daily Telegraph that while she was opposed to the planned wall 14 years ago, she believes a balance can now be reached. “A balance has to be struck between those who use the beach and those who live beside it.

“At the time ... we were looking at a sea wall 1km long, a hard engineered sea wall.”

Meanwhile, families who may be forced to demolish their oceanfront homes have lashed out at federal Greens candidate Mike Hall, who wants to stop people from living so close to the coastline.

Cartoonist Warren Brown’s view.

Mr Hall labelled a council promise to build a sea wall at Collaroy a “knee-jerk reaction” and said: “We need to move development back and let nature take its course.”

Zaza Silk, who lost nearly 30m of land, said the comments were hurtful and impractical at a time when she was waiting to learn whether her home needed to be rebuilt.

Aerial photographs show the extent of the damage. Picture: Toby Zerna

Pool on beach still being pounded by waves. Damage along collaroy beach at this morning's high tide

REPORTS WARNED OF BEACH DANGER

Andrew Clennell

A 2012 Warringah Council document clearly warned of damage to properties along Collaroy-Narrabeen beach from major storms yet no action was taken, while the state government’s NSW Coastal Panel minutes from just last year raised further concerns.

Development along this stretch of Collaroy Beach was identified as under threat of erosion in a 2012 Warringah Council report. Picture: Toby Zerna

As recriminations continue over now-teetering properties at Collaroy, The Daily Telegraph can reveal the 2012 council Coastal Erosion Emergency Action Subplan for Beaches in Warringah warned that “an extensive length of development is at threat”.

It said without protective works in place, certain areas “would be expected to be damaged in the future”.

“This is part of an ongoing assessment of coastal erosion  and examination of options for remedial ­actions,” a Northern Beaches Council spokeswoman said yesterday.

The government’s NSW Coastal Panel minutes from April 2015 revealed emergency plans were out of date and “an emergency could occur at any time”.

The minutes went on to quote panel member Professor Bruce Thom saying the plan “essentially adopted a hold the line strategy”.

“The panel expressed some concern with the management options ... permitting landowners to fund and construct their own protection works.

“Prof Thom also raised concerns in relation to ­uncertainty surrounding the risk and liabilities in ­relation to any landowner-funded works.”

A new coastal management plan was ratified last November but nothing had been done since to protect the 10 properties now in danger at Collaroy.

Planning Minister Rob Stokes told The Daily Telegraph earlier this week a sea wall was not constructed because residents had not wanted to pay for it.

“A small number of landowners were not prepared to be involved,” the minister’s office said.

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