Wamberal residents left furious over evacuation
A row of waterfront mansions are close to collapsing into the ocean as massive swell erodes the beach. One fed-up homeowner says it exposes a “diabolical” failure.
Environment
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Homeowners on the NSW Central Coast who have been forced to evacuate have slammed preparations for the current “bomb cyclone” as a “joke”, with one resident calling NSW Premier Chris Minns a “coward”.
Evacuation orders were issued on Tuesday for parts of Wamberal and The Entrance North due to coastal erosion and major swells, forcing dozens of residents to flee their homes.
Many of those evacuated were residents of multi-million-dollar homes at Wamberal Beach, which are at risk of collapse due to coastal erosion.
Extraordinary photos taken by news.com.au show many of the waterfront mansions close to being washed away, with frontyards swallowed up by sand as huge swell erodes the coastline.
Chris Rogers, who is a homeowner and head of the Wamberal Protection Association, said despite weeks of warning about the storm system, the council only decided to do preventive works on Tuesday.
“The whole process, the way it has been managed is diabolical. We’ve so far been luck in this weather event, but we might not be so lucky next time,” he said.
“We are hoping to signify to them that they need a more permanent solution.”
Both the homeowners and council have been locked in a debate for years on how to best manage the coastal erosion.
Despite homeowners offering to build a seawall with their own money, Mr Rogers, who lives on Pacific Street, said little had been done in recent years.
“Let’s stop the merry-go-round. We are now stuck in this constant cycle of evacuation,” he said.
“Online it’s all, oh you’ve got a bunch of rich pricks that own the houses. But there is actually people who have who have been here their whole lives.
“If you think that’s ok, then maybe you need to go and have a long hard look at yourself. “
The same homes were hit by major swells in July 2020, leaving many on the edge of collapse.
Mr Rogers and his family were evacuated when that storm hit for three months, and said it was hardest on the older residents in the street.
“Mrs Baney, who lives up the road, is in her 80s and has lived here for 50 years. She got evacuated last night, think about your grandmother being forcibly from her home in the night,” he said.
“It’s a joke. It’s un-Australian for people not to care.”
Angela da Silva, who also lives on Pacific Street, checked into a hotel on Tuesday night, before returning to her home on Wednesday.
She said came back to find her backyard was now a “triangle instead of a rectangle” after a portion eroded into the ocean.
“This has been happening for many, many years. I think soon all the houses will just have to go. It’s mother nature,” Ms De Silva said.
In April, Chris Minns met with Wamberal residents over their concerns of the coastal erosion.
Mr Minns is opposed to a seawall, however, vowed in the meeting to find a solution.
Mr Rogers said no action has been taken by the NSW Premier since.
“If you look a guy in the eye and say you are going to do something and then you don’t do it … that’s called being a coward,” he said.
Asked about the issue on Wednesday, Mr Minns said it was not something you could “just click your fingers and fix”.
“There’s a reason no one did anything about this for 10 years, and that is that community has been under threat from coastal erosion for a long time,” Mr Minns said.
“A permanent fix like a sea wall could do more damage than good, and I’ve resisted it, not because I’m trying to save money or drag our feet, but because I think it would do more damage than it would save.”
In a statement, Central Coast Council said it was working with the NSW Government to find a long-term solution, labelling the situation at Wamberal “very complex”.
“Council undertook emergency repair works - after receiving instruction from the Local Emergency Operations Controller on Monday afternoon - on both Tuesday and Wednesday mornings this week at Wamberal beach, including sand nourishment and the placement of rock bags,” the statement.
“This was in preparation of the expected weather event. Residents have been kept informed of the authorised works, which Council acknowledges are a short-term emergency solution.”
Evacuations also hit The Entrance North
There were similar scenes at the Entrance North on Wednesday as homes along Hutton Road were battered with large swells.
One home on the street lost a large tree in their backyard as the coastline eroded overnight.
Despite layers of rocks being placed along the coastline over the years, residents on the street said they are still losing land each time there is a big storm.
“Don’t even get me started. The council just doesn’t want to hear about it,” one neighbour said.
NSW Minister for Emergency Services Jihad Dib said on Wednesday morning that weather will likely become more severe heading into Thursday.
The Bureau of Meteorology has warned rainfall of up to 200mm is expected throughout the weather system with damaging winds, huge surf and erosion set to impact millions of residents in NSW.
Has your home been hit by this storm? Get in touch. Sarah.Keoghan@news.com.au
Originally published as Wamberal residents left furious over evacuation
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