The Central Coast Council has issued an alert over the weekend after a huge coastal swell caused significant coastal erosion at Wamberal and The Entrance, resulting in landslips underneath beachfront properties.

• Wamberal and The Entrance experienced “significant coastal erosion” due to large swells.
• Landslips caused at private beachfront properties and steep sand escarpments.
• Debris washed up on other beaches, including Blue Bay and Toowoon Bay.

The Central Coast Council stated that erosion had caused landslips at some private beachfront properties and steep sand escarpments. Debris had also been washed up on other beaches, including Blue Bay and Toowoon Bay. Labor state member for The Entrance, David Mehan, described the erosion as “very distressing” but noted that no homes in The Entrance had been structurally damaged. Adam Crouch, Liberal state member for Terrigal, expressed concern over ongoing coastal erosion and welcomed all options, including sand nourishment promised by the Premier. Adam Crouch said, “A holistic approach needs to be taken given these events are becoming more regular. A holistic approach needs to be taken given these events are becoming more regular.” (emphasis on importance of a comprehensive strategy)
Chris Rogers from the Wamberal Protection Association stated that big swells resulted in land slippage along the beach for a number of properties, exposing rocks and other protection put in place in 2020.

Several homeowners at both Wamberal and The Entrance have lodged development applications to build hard protective barriers – effectively a seawall buried in the sand – to protect their properties. The proposal has attracted controversy among other Wamberal residents who are concerned it would affect the beach for the rest of the community. At Wamberal Breakers Country Club, more than 200 locals heard the premier back sand nourishment over the wall for the first time.

“I don’t have any confidence that the erection of a seawall wouldn’t have devastating impacts for the rest of the beach,” Premier Chris Minns said.

Chris Rogers stated that the beachfront residents welcomed the premier’s commitment to sand nourishment but would continue their lawful process with the development applications as well. The proposal for the 1.4km-long concrete wall at Wamberal was officially submitted to the council last year, but the idea gained traction in 2020 when wild storms caused such serious coastal erosion that beachfront homes began to crumble into the sea. Thirty metres of beach were washed away, and the foundations of some homes were pictured teetering precariously from the cliff. Wamberal Beach has hosted multiple rallies against the proposed wall since that storm as the battle between the anti-wall Wamberal Beach Save Our Sand group and the pro-wall Wamberal Protection Association got heated. Seawalls have also proved controversial in other communities, such as Collaroy on the northern beaches, which was described as a “hellscape” in 2022 when a storm washed away a huge swath of sand. Experts in coastal erosion say seawalls are effective at protecting what is behind them but can exacerbate sand erosion underneath. However, a beach backed by natural dunes is also an effective barrier and can allow the beach to retreat as sea levels rise because of climate change. Javier Leon, associate professor in physical geography at the University of the Sunshine Coast, stated that seawalls should be reserved for places where there is valuable public infrastructure behind them. “I’m more of an advocate of nature-based solutions – having a healthy dune offers better protection in the long term for infrastructure,” Leon said. “For those houses on dunes and in erosion-prone areas like Wamberal, I believe that a more cost-effective solution is actually buying back and just managing that retreat,” Leon said. Labor state member for The Entrance, David Mehan, said his personal view was that buybacks were “a valid option” that could be considered alongside beach nourishment and other solutions. “We need a solution that works for the whole state rather than wait for people to put in a DA – that’s not very satisfying,” Mehan said. A spokesperson for the NSW government stated that there were no plans for buybacks of beachfront properties anywhere in the state. Chris Rogers stated that the idea of buybacks was “ridiculous” in the case of Wamberal because fair compensation to homeowners would cost up to $700 million. He also stated that there were only 14 metres between the beach and the road, measured at two empty blocks, so the dunes would not provide sufficient protection for public infrastructure. “All the homes at Wamberal Beach and along the coast have been bought through a legal process,” Rogers said. “If we have the right to buy there… we’ve got a right to protect our homes.”
The beachfront battle between the anti-wall Wamberal Beach Save Our Sand group and the pro-wall Wamberal Protection Association continues as residents seek a solution to the ongoing coastal erosion. A comprehensive strategy that addresses the root causes of the problem is necessary to ensure the long-term protection of beachfront properties and the community. A holistic approach that considers all options, including beach nourishment, sand nourishment, and buybacks, is necessary to address the ongoing coastal erosion and protect the community. The beachfront residents are seeking a solution that works for the whole state, rather than waiting for the government to make a decision. The fate of Wamberal Beach and its residents hangs in the balance as the beachfront battle continues.