Bulldozers moved in to begin flattening the dunes and removing overgrown vegetation this week, as part of Wollongong City Council's continuing dune management strategy.

The council's environmental strategy and planning manager, Renee Campbell, said the beach would follow a gentle incline once the works were finished, improving access and increasing the expanse of sand available for recreation.

"The primary aim of the work is to ensure we establish clear lines of sight for our ocean lifeguards and surf lifesavers," she said.

"The works involve clearing an approximately 30-metre strip of vegetation from the seaward side of the dune. Higher elevation areas of the dune are being reduced to improve line of sight from the patrol tower, with excess sand moved further seaward."

In the council's dune management strategy, adopted early last year, Towradgi was rated as having "severe" issues in terms of line of sight, recreational amenity and beach access.

Lifeguards and lifesavers have complained about these problems for many years, saying the steep sand cliffs blocked their views and made it difficult to carry live saving equipment onto the sand.

Ms Campbell said the vegetation removal and dune reshaping works would be done over 230 metres of the beach and were due to be completed by late next week, weather permitting.

Revegetation works will be undertaken as part of a separate contract, she said, with low-growing species to be installed on the park side of the flattened dunes over the next 18 months.

The council has launched a new dune care program. It will use Tony Abbott's Green Army - which gives youth training and experience in environmental and conservation fields - to carry out works along the city's beaches.