Illawarra surf lifesavers have slammed management of beach dunes, saying current conditions present real dangers to both lifesavers and beach goers.
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Val Zanotto, president of Surf Life Saving Illawarra, said deep-rooted vegetation on the region's beaches caused a multitude of problems.
"Vegetation is growing high, and lifesavers cannot see beaches," he said.
"It's the protection of lives. A new risk has been created, that kids go and tunnel into the sand embankments created by scarps and the sand can collapse."
Mr Zanotto said beaches have been narrowed due to encroaching vegetation, as well as scarping issues. This has led to the cancellation and postponement of surf club events, and had an impact on the ability of lifesavers to carry out their duties.
"Sometimes we can't even put flags on the beach because there's not enough space for them," he said.
Wollongong surf club president Michael Jennett echoed this sentiment. He said narrow beaches and scarping presented challenges to lifesavers.
"We have significant difficulty in placing rescue equipment on the beach and making it accessible to lifesavers," he said.
"We're also concerned about the collapse of these scarp faces, with members of the public climbing or walking on them."
Mr Jennett said scarping on Wollongong city beach sometimes creates three-metre high sand embankments. Subsequent closure of beach access points creates its own problems.
"When beach access is closed, people are more likely to swim further away in unsafe, unpatrolled areas," he said.
Mr Zanotto has criticised council's draft dune management strategy for being "reactive and not proactive."
As reported in the Mercury last week, an option outlined in the council's dune management strategy calls for purchasing new, taller lifeguard towers to see over growing plant life.
Mr Zanotto said the need to purchase taller towers, at up to $150,000 each, could be obviated if the council simply better managed dune vegetation.
"Do we keep buying taller and taller towers? And where do we put them, if vegetation is everywhere and still growing? It doesn't solve a problem at all and it's not realistic," he said.
"They seem far more concerned with vegetation than with people's lives."
