‘Very distressing’: Photo shows multimillion-dollar beachfront mansions in NSW on edge of sand cliff
A luxury Airbnb that costs $3000 a night is among beachfront properties sitting on the edge of a sand cliff after huge swells eroded the coast.
A more than $5.5 million beachfront mansion that can cost holiday goers upwards of $3000 a night on Airbnb was pictured on the edge of a sand cliff this week after huge swells eroded the coast.
Local MP David Mehan shared a picture of “very distressing” erosion at The Entrance North on the NSW Central Coast on Facebook.
“The beach area is unsafe and sightseeing is not helpful and risky so please stay away,” he warned on Wednesday.
Central Coast Council said large swells on Tuesday night led to erosion that “caused landslips at some private beachfront properties and steep sand escarpments” at the southern end of The Entrance North and Wamberal.
Earlier on Tuesday, Premier Chris Minns committed to sand nourishment at Wamberal Beach (offshore sand added to the beach) over a proposal for a seawall that was so controversial there have been allegations of bullying among residents.
Central Coast Council closed public beach access points “for community safety” on Wednesday and are still telling people to “avoid beaches where there has been significant coastal erosion and sand loss”.
It said council staff, NSW SES and NSW Police had spoken to residents at Wamberal Beach and The Entrance North.
“Council crews are currently assessing damage of impacted areas as to level of damage to the beaches and infrastructure at beach access points,” council told news.com.au on Friday. “The are also removing debris from the beach and access walkways.”
The luxury holiday home at the centre of Mr Mehan’s photo at The Entrance North is advertised on Airbnb as “one of the most prestigious oceanfront residences on The Central Coast”.
The four-level, five-bedroom, five-bathroom home sleeps 12 people. It is listed for $2000 a night during the week and $2500 on the weekend, with an additional $750 cleaning fee. The Christmas period is upwards of $3000 a night, plus the cleaning fee.
The property was last sold for $5.52 million in September 2022, according to realestate.com.au.
A neighbouring four-bedroom beachfront unit sold for $2.3 million in 2023, while another three-bedroom unit was listed for rent at $2500 per week the same year.
On the same strip there are two beachfront penthouses currently for sale over $3 million. One is listed between $3m and $3.3m, and the other is listed between $2,995,000 and $3,290,000 — both two-storey with three bedrooms.
news.com.au found beachfront properties listed on Airbnb were commonly hosted by holiday rental management companies. news.com.au has contacted several for comment.
Speaking to NBN News Central Coast on Thursday, distressed beachfront residents said they needed the state government to intervene and provide short-term protections immediately while looking at a long-term plan.
One resident described the storm this week as “the worst it’s ever been”, while another said they’d lost about four metres off the coast.
A third resident said: “I came here to retire, I thought it would be a beautiful spot but I’m now just in a sinkhole.”
The coast is no stranger to erosion. Shocking pictures from Wamberal made national headlines in 2020 when two homes partially collapsed from landslips caused by huge swells.
However, not everyone is showing sympathy for those with beachfront homes in the danger zone, with some labelling the issue “rich people problems”.
“Don’t build on the dune, it’s that simple,” wrote one man in response to Mr Mehan’s post.
“Build on sand, expect consequences,” agreed one woman.
“Why approvals are given to build to close to the sea???” asked a third.
“Will tax payer dollars protect a few million dollar views while other areas of the coast don’t even have curb and guttering or footpaths?” questioned someone else.
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