Sutherland mayor outlines plan to stop coastal erosion at Cronulla beaches

Aerial images of Cronulla beach from this week - and a decade ago - reveal the devastating impact of wild weather. Use our interactive tool to see the change.

Aerial images dated 10 years apart show the stark coastal erosion Cronulla beach has experienced due to recent huge swells and high tides.

The once sandy beaches have all but washed away in recent months but most notably over the weekend with Sutherland Shire Council putting in place preventive and public safety measures.

About half a metre of dune was being lost each day due to continuing large swells over the past fortnight, with about two metres gone on July 11.

As a short-term solution, Sutherland Shire mayor Carmelo Pesce said large boulders would be placed strategically along the North Cronulla beach, on top of geotech mats, to prevent further coastal erosion.

Cr Pesce said the boulders would likely remain to help the sand return.

He said the boulders were part of a long-term coastal management plan which had been adopted by the council.

“We will work with stakeholders and work through the plan to come up with a more permanent solution,” Cr Pesce said.

“This plan has been on the cards for a while and we are not jumping to it now because of the recent erosion.

“We have been working on the management plan for three years where we consulted different stakeholders including the state government, scientists, engineers, surf clubs, board riders and the community generally.”

A large drop has been created were there used to be easy access to the beach. Picture: NCA NewsWire/James Gourley

Cr Pesce said the plan allowed the council to apply for funding and grants to put the best solution in place, adding the council would not be making decisions “on the fly”.

He said he had seen photos shared on social media of Cronulla beach in a similar state in 1974, adding “this is mother nature doing its job”.

“We need to take precautions so we look after the asset we have into the future,” Cr Pesce said.

The council used a crane to remove the top part of the North Cronulla lifeguard on Monday night which was perilously close to the edge of a cliff created from erosion.

The tower, which has been moved onto the Esplanade, is non-operational during winter for life saving purposes and the council will undertake maintenance while it is relocated.

Huge swells have caused damage to coastal areas on North Cronulla Beach. Picture: NCA NewsWire / James Gourley

Certain poles, railings and associated infrastructure, all located between the Esplanade and the shoreline, are being disconnected and made safe.

As part of the above measures, pedestrian access along the Esplanade is closed.

There will be ongoing limitations to pedestrian access and parking immediately above where the works are being undertaken for at least the next week.

Cr Pesce said Cronulla beaches would be operational and patrolled in summer, with the sand expected to return in natural course.

He added the council had recently dumped 200 tonnes of sand at North Cronulla to make the access easier to the beach ahead of the July school holidays but unfortunately the high tides washed some of it away.

Cr Pesce said council would be monitoring the situation ahead of the busy summer period noting that early next year Port Hacking channels would be dredged with the sand dumped at Cronulla beaches to replenish the heavily eroded asset.

A surf club lifeguard tower was removed from its base due to severe cliff erosion at North Cronulla Beach. Picture: Jenny Evans/Getty Images

On Monday a council spokesman reminded people who sought access to Bate Bay beaches to take caution and follow directions provided by the council’s ocean safety and lifeguard team and via safety signage displayed on site.

“A number of beach access tracks remain closed in the interests of public safety, with beachgoers urged to use an alternate route should their usual point of entry to the beach be fenced off,” he said.

“Council continues to monitor weather and surf conditions to assess when works to replenish sand along the most frequented Bate Bay beaches can be conducted without further threat of erosion.”