On Monday, North Wollongong’s Puckeys Beach was strewn with piles of rubbish; odd thongs, paint cans, doll parts and lots of plastic bottles were tangled in the debris that had washed up on the shore next to the lagoon.

Wollongong City Council said the beach was also affected by dune scarping, while at the south end of City Beach the beach had to be closed due to heavy erosion of the dunes.

Lord Mayor Gordon Bradbery said Coalcliff and Coledale beaches were also “significantly impacted” and had to be secured with temporary fencing.

“Many of our buildings and properties did sustain a level of damage but overall we were very lucky, with most of the damage minor,” he said.

“Things like our local beaches, however were heavily impacted.”

Extra council staff were still working to inspect other areas of the coast on Monday, but damage was expected near creek entrances at East Corrimal and Bulli beaches.

Cr Bradbery paid tribute to the volunteers and staff had who worked “around the clock” to monitor and close roads, secure and remove unsafe trees, and install barricades in areas to reduce danger to the public.

The council distributed 500 sandbags overnight on Friday and hundreds more in the following days. They are still available free of charge to residents at the Northern, Central and Southern depots.

Cr Bradbery urged people to continue to use common sense.

“While the immediate danger has passed there are still plenty of hazards about including unstable ground around our beaches, and unsecured trees,” he said. “I urge residents to not take any unnecessary risks and to keep away from areas that have been closed off. They’re closed for a reason.”

The council expected to get more reports of damage as water subsides. 

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