Nielsen Park: Vaucluse’s Shark Beach to be closed for summer, seawall refurbishment works delayed

A popular Vaucluse beach will be off limits this summer, as wet weather and unexpected discoveries delay works to a “once in a lifetime” seawall refurbishment.

Swimmers will be barred from Vaucluse’s iconic Shark Beach at Neilsen Park for the entire summer, with the reopening of the heritage-listed site delayed by continuing refurbishment works on a stone seawall.

The heritage-listed site, operated by NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS), has been closed since March for the seawall – which was severely damaged by flooding in 2016 – to be replaced.

The project has closed Shark Beach and The Nielsen restaurant and kiosk, as well as impacting short-term accommodation at Gardeners Cottage and Steel Point Cottage.

Delays to the refurbishment have come about after asbestos was discovered beneath the wall, as well as the impact of wet weather conditions.

The project, led by construction company Delaney Civil, had an original planned completion date of December however now the NSW Planning Department says the project won’t be completed until April with the timing updated across government websites and on the park signage.

Nielsen Park will be closed until April 2023.

Nielsen Park is a hotspot for tourists and locals. Picture: John Appleyard

Only recently many residents and tourists, venturing out to meet the first signs of a glorious Sydney summer, are learning of the extra delays.

Shaun, who lives in a nearby suburb, said learning the beloved beach would be closed for the entirety of summer was “extremely disappointing.”

Residents are disappointed the beloved beach will be out of order for the entire summer.

Shark Beach, Nielsen Park. Picture: Craig Wilson

“It is one of the nicer beaches that we like coming to because you can have both the park and the sand and the beach experience,” he said. “It’s kind of a very convenient all in one sort of way to spend your day at one place.”

Another resident said Nielsen Park was “one of your go to beaches” in the eastern suburbs in summer, packed out from dawn to dusk with residents and tourists.

But he said he already assumed the planned reopening would face even more delays thanks to wet weather.

“If you look at the forecast, it‘s looking so grim,” he said. “It’s La Niña so we’re not really going to have a summer.”

Construction delays at Nielsen Park.

Nielsen Park pictured on September 26.

Australian Constructors Association chief executive Jon Davies told the Wentworth Courier the expected rainy summer was a major challenge to the construction industry and was likely to bring “significant delay and disruption to many projects”.

“Covid prompted record investment in infrastructure by governments nationwide and at the same time caused significant delay and disruption to many projects,” he said.

“The increase in work caused huge demand for workers, and flooding events and ongoing wet weather have further delayed projects,” he said.

A NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) spokesman said the seawall replacement was a “major and complex project”.

Vaucluse MP Gabrielle Upton said the “once-in-a-lifetime” replacement of the storm-damaged seawall would be worth the wait, with upgraded ramps providing more accessibility to the beach along with improved and raised lawn areas and new trees.

“The National Parks and Wildlife Service is working hard to expedite the project delivery but in a way that achieves the best outcome for the whole community,” she said.