Waves decimate Illawarra sand dunes

By Laurel-Lee Roderick
Updated November 5 2012 - 9:06pm, first published June 26 2009 - 10:55am
Wollongong's City Beach has been severely affected by the erosion. Picture: HANK van STUIVENBERG
Wollongong's City Beach has been severely affected by the erosion. Picture: HANK van STUIVENBERG

Pounding seas and huge tides have ripped millions of tonnes of sand from Illawarra beaches - an occurence expected to become more common with climate change. Sand dunes at Town's top residential sales have been transformed into impassable walls in front of the surf club and City Beach Function Centre complex. The erosion happened just a month after a University of Wollongong study warned that up to 20 per cent of the South Coast was highly sensitive to the effects of climate change. City Beach was among the Illawarra beaches identified by University of Wollongong academics Professor Colin Woodroffe and Pamela Abuodha as being most at risk, along with Stanwell Park, Thirroul to Towradgi, Shellharbour, Minnamurra, Bombo and Werri beaches.Total Environment Centre director Jeff Angel said even a significant reduction in carbon emissions would not be able to reverse global warming and rising seas."Unfortunately, there is already enough lag in the system from previous pollution that we are going to have to confront these issues," he said. "The impacts of erosion can be quite dramatic and that can have quite sudden adverse effects both on important conservation lands as well as residential areas."A Wollongong City Council spokesperson said staff were aware of the erosion and would monitor safety issues at access points."Over the past two weeks the city's beaches have been experiencing a mix of high tides and large surf resulting in erosion of sand. This is a natural occurrence for this time of year," the spokesperson said. Over the past month, wild seas have created havoc along the NSW coast.One of the worst-affected areas has been Byron Bay, where up to 16 multimillion-dollar properties are at risk from erosion. One landowner went to the Land and Environment Court after Byron Shire Council gained an injunction to stop him rebuilding a sandbag wall.

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