Central Coast Council’s emergency works response to mitigate coastal erosion at Wamberal and North Entrance is now complete with focus turning to recovery and future coastal management planning for the Central Coast.

The State Emergency Controller (LEOCon), has signed off on the works which saw Council crews working round the clock to place over 10,000 tonnes of rock and sand at North Entrance and Wamberal beaches.

Council CEO Gary Murphy praised the cooperation and hard work taken to respond to the emergency and that this would be harnessed as the focus moves to mitigating and managing coastal erosion into the future.

“This has been a truly collaborative effort with Council, expert coastal engineers, residents and the community and the State Government all working together – it really saved the day,” Mr Murphy said.

“We need to continue that effort as we now focus on more permanent solutions and best practice coastal management going forward.

‘We will now focus on delivering Coastal Management Plans for the whole of the Central Coast, which we are aiming to complete by 2021, that will involve working with property owners, the broader community in addition to State and Federal Governments Departments.

“It won’t be an easy process, but we are committed to getting it right.”

Mayor Lisa Matthews said coastal management was a challenging issue for all Councils up and down the Coast and there is a need for a local as well as a national solution.

“Here on the Coast we have faced many challenges with mother nature and our coastline, not just this year, but every year,” Mayor Matthews said.

“Our community has had to continually be strong and resilient and I am proud of how we have pulled together and faced these challenges head on.

‘We all love the natural environment on the Coast, it is a key reason we all live here and we want to be able to keep living near and enjoying our beaches and waterways into the future.

“Coastal management is a priority for every Council up and down the Coast – we can learn from each other and find synergies – share what we’ve done already and find the best solutions for the future.

“It can’t just be up to Local Government though. We need help, support and funding from the State and Federal Governments and that is what we will continue to pursue.”

Find out more about coastal management on the Central Coast at centralcoast.nsw.gov.au/coastlines 

*3000 tonnes of rock were placed at North Entrance with 2,300 tonnes of large basalt rocks, over 1,100 tonnes of rock bags and 4000 tonnes of sand at Wamberal.