Cyclonic activity isnt forecast to increase at all - I think the jury actually out on that at the moment, east coast of Australia in a 500 year dip too on cyclonic activity. Lance Knight. However, the work then continued skyward with a seven metre vertical concrete wall on top of the foundations. The fucking vandals bulldozed down one of the last remnants of coastal heath to get their heavy equipment in. Compare their prediction of how it would look with the reality shown above.. https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/climate-change-and-coastal-erosion-the-g GOR coastal erosion webinar link for today at 3pm for those interested. My 2c on the buy back scheme - NB Council won't have 50+ million sitting around to buy them all back at once (and NSW Gov wouldn't be in a hurry to give them the rest) so they'd have to do it say a couple per year, but at the same time, that leaves the others who can't be bought back vulnerable and at risk of further destruction if another mega storm decides to show up, which in the current climate you'd have to think is pretty likely. It might be cold comfort to the home owners, but there's always a certain risk to be taken, anywhere you might choose to live. The UNSW Centre is called the Water Research Laboratory. As you know we have the Great Ocean Road down here , which was a huge Tourist attraction ( before Covid.) If a construction like that ends up being the only realistic option then so be it, but at least they need to be transparent about how they got to that point, and ideally accountable in future if it goes south. https://www.9news.com.au/national/weather-nsw-sydney-collaroy-surfer-pul Sydney 'Living' Seawalls Sorry wasnt specifically referring to collaroy which I completely agree has been a known and long term problem. I think the wall is actually a good warning of exactly what governments mean by "adaptation and mitigation"..expensive projects for the construction industry rather than sound ecological management. I wrote to Many Hydraulics Laboratory to ask for the details regarding the sea wall assessment they produced. Here's a screengrab from the website about the proposed breakwall extension: It seems that the main concern about the extension is the interruption of the natural flow of sand onto Mooloolaba beach and hence increased erosion risk. Jeez. "We have the Tools and imagination" Was the carpark damaged by the 2016 storms and if so-to what extent? the council up here is anti sea walls, but there is a thread that runs through them very much of "stuff the beachfront guys - they are rich". Though still in its early days, the reef - which cost $18 million - has maintained beach width since it was completed in 2019. Thanks lilas. The seven metres protruding above sea level is vertical, even going beyond vertical for the final metre to prevent wave overtopping. The council will buy me out at any price if things get too hot". It's orders of magnitude more than a bunch of multi-million dollar properties at risk. Wonder if he has been down there in the last 2 days to check on status of wall? Seawalls protect the bases of cliffs, land and buildings against erosion in areas where rapid coastal erosion is beginning to pose a serious threat to. In the Doc below, They advised to do more Numerical modeling [Physics simulations] to be sure of the walls effect. Big walls like this one are getting smashed and although for the most part they are still there, everything behind them is going. Market value is driven by what people are willing to pay for it. Anyone who has been to Chiba in Kanto will have seen the Tetrapod formed surf breaks there. The lessons, it would seem, are still being learnt. Nah, buybacks don't put the properties back onto the market, they're acquired by the council at market rates and then emptied, returned to parkland and foredune, both a buffer against storm action. Collaroy homes along Pittwater Rd have been cordoned off today. The DA for the Collaroy seawall was approved while the Northern Beaches Council was under administration. The obvious one is disaster relief which will be a given in the medium to long term for the repair of the wall and its impacts to adjacent beaches. I've written about it before but the real reason here is money- it is massive pork-barreling on an unprecedented scale. Yep totally agree. Im just saying its a difficult issue, beachwall terrible and if its sets a precedent huge chunks of the coast stuffed. The problem is one of vertical fiscal imbalance. (AO) It never went to a vote of councillors, where it would have been likely voted down . This widely publicized protest was an attempt to promote a pro-democracy, civil liberty, social justice message, and to protest against corporate greed and economic inequality. Perhaps at best, the council acquires the land and owners get a sum to relocate to a 'normal' house west of Pittwater Road (god forbid). The owners of those properties must have the most amazing collection of dirt on the political class. The erosion at Collaroy/Narrabeen Beach is not particularly significant, unusual or surprising. The total contribution of both the Council and the State is $3.46 million, which is 20 percent of the total cost of construction. Picture: Nearmap A subsequent image of Collaroy Beach from June 8, 2016. Fvck the coastline. In a story on Northern Beaches Review, Bob Orth, who lives in one of the houses behind the seawall, said the seawall should inspire others to do likewise. Please enable it to continue. It would be a good idea to put in a surf cam in that pans up and down the wall to document any changes to the beach, sand movements, erosion problems etc. We had made a big mistake that would become bigger. If no acquisition or buyback is made, then good luck to the owners trying to sell these properties. More than likely entombed in one of those tetrapod molds you mentioned above. Thanks so much zen! Just ugly, clog up the waterways etc. Yes and do they have tactile indicators in the correct place? Same stretch of sand - another wall to protect public assets - https://www.scs.nsw.gov.au/soil-conservation-services-projects/collaroy- Gary G has been erecting hard structures in the dunes around Victorian beaches for years. Contrast man-made against a natural barrier like mangroves (apologies for the sound, not my video), Trees work well for preventing erosion ONLY when the wave power is very minimal. Lake that has been going on for the last 20 years. Maybe "Collaroy" is the aboriginal word for "Stupid White people"? This is the only plausible outcome from the hard seawall construction and the engineers would have known this. They are frequently used in locations where further shore erosion will result in excessive damage, e.g. "Once this is up it'll be a momentum for others to do it too," said Orth. increases social amenity". walkways to viewing platforms & beaches, selective weed management, planting, education, etc), Give nature a chance, it will rebound & stabilise dunes or else find a new equilibrium.< inland. It's been seven years since the last, but the event has been called on off for this Wednesday - Hawaiian time. I am pretty sure the link was correct when I posted it. Offshore reefs would be expensive , but we are already spending 100's of millions on bad solutions that actually cause more problems than they solve so money cannot be used as an excuse. (9News) But the structure has divided locals, with many describing it as an eyesore, and there are concerns it may wipe out the beach entirely. [Just like in Hawaii] The sea wall forms a permanent, stationary barrier between the sea and the land. Pipeline specialist injured while duckdiving in heavy waves. Futile. Climate projections will have some Australian surfers rejoicing, and others not so. Im worried they will put one of these in at a beachie around here as the carpark and rd are imminent to be taken by the ocean and Im sure that will dramatically change the profile of that beach. It's good to see some enlightened input from Brendan and Angus, both of whom have extensive experience in coastal management from planning and engineering backgrounds. The Collaroy Beach seawall project was put to the test for the first time today with the arrival of a moderate to large east-northeast groundswell from ex-Tropical Cyclone Seth, coinciding with a king tide. The road is the public asset to be protected yes linked to their actions - but if it was really only just about PW road then surely a more cost effective way would have been to introduce less expensive and arguably more effective measures as I understand earlier reports have indicated including reveg and rock? This is where I live. As the article states, in terms of erosion, vertical walls don't work and actually exacerbate the problem. Owners of storm-devastated Collaroy properties on Sydney's northern beaches face paying up to $140,000 each for a new sea wall that might have saved their homes had it been there at the weekend. Beaches with hard structures can return, though it takes longer, and rocks and concrete in the wave zone also make for a dangerous combination. It may not happen in my lifetime [fingers-crosssed] but it's a real issue when thinking about your children who eventually inherit your home. Again this can only be taken as opinion without proper scientific references. I wonder whats worse this concrete monstrsity or the digital identity certifcate which is about to be become a reality unless you put some energy into being another voice presenting a social inclusivity rather than If there is an identity card, then people in authority will want to put it to use.What is at stake is nothing less than the nature of our society and the power and authority of the state over the individual. There are many software suits now that can handle very complex near-shore modeling, including sediment transport from wave and current action. To my way of thinking, and with a working understanding of government process, the real issue is the approval process. Why would you bother acquiring the affected properties "at any cost", when they're likely to be washed into the sea? Establishment and set out of site survey control points. This is not a defence of the structure or the owners, just recognition that the protection of the main north south artery on the northern beaches was a factor. Planning Minister Rob Stokes told the Telegraph there was a recent plan to build a sea wall in Collaroy at the scene of the devastation but the owners would not agree on making a contribution, so it never happened. Nothing can ever excuse extremely poor and ill-conceived designs. Good point, Lilas, but I think the issues around hard structures and beach environments have been established for so long and are so well known in the coastal management field that it's taken as read. The council now will not release the relevant documents without a formal application and even then would no doubt find reasons to withhold the significant parts. High-quality Collaroy Beach Wall Art designed and sold by artists. A much higher amplitude as well. The majority of these companies are legitimate businesses set up by Yakuza. sea wall is perfect. A bit like asking journos writing about climate change to include references scientific papers talking about how CO2 is a greenhouse gas. All they are protecting are some pretty sparse land and some rice fields a couple of hundred metres inland. Unfortunately, what we see in Collaroy might become a norm to protect this lifestyle. Ray Collins eat your heart out.. Good find. Meanwhile, those on the other side of the divide are fearing the precedent of a return to hard structures and what this might mean for the rest of the Collaroy and Narrabeen beachfront, not to mention Wamberal, Old Bar, Byron Bay, and any other area where bad planning policy has created a wicked problem. Do you know how deep the bedrock is? "community engagement", and my personal favourite "building resilience". The market knows the insurance companies know this. Hourly Multiple Swells Wind Highlighting Model Units ft, mph. I wouldnt have thought there would be much fetch? Premium ad-free surfcams, dawn surf reports, and more https://www.sydneycoastalcouncils.com.au/sites/default/files/JRCorkill_A https://www.surfline.com/surf-news/theyve-kerbed-guttered-narrabeen-beac https://www.scs.nsw.gov.au/soil-conservation-services-projects/collaroy- https://files.northernbeaches.nsw.gov.au/sites/default/files/documents/g https://files.northernbeaches.nsw.gov.au/sites/default/files/collaroy-na https://www.northernbeaches.nsw.gov.au/council/news/whats-happening-coll https://www.linkedin.com/mwlite/in/peter-horton-coastal-engineer, https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=144437777895204. In blustery, unfavourable conditions, people began lining up at 4.00pm Saturday afternoon (27 November) between Collaroy and Narrabeen to form a 'line in the sand' against the seawall's construction. When deciding to spend rate payer dollars, on what metric do they use without using the big IF ? Between these three, you can protect any shore from water erosion. Almost certainly the latter lilas, given the problems Sydney has had with apartment blocks I would think regulation is minimal to non-existent. Some interesting papers about building seawalls and the effect it has on risk perception in the post Tsunami context in Japan: Littlejohn (2020) "Dividing worlds tsunamis, seawalls, and ontological politics in Northeast Japan" Designed to democratise surfing, Tom Morey's invention became a specialised craft for riding treacherouswaves. In their natural state, sand dunes are dynamic and in a constant state of flux. It's corrupt to the eyeballs and the only winners are the crooked pollies and the dodgy construction companies while the once beautiful Japanese coastline is lost forever. Has any one ever suggested an off shore reef, seems like a win-win or is the sea floor unsuitable? Northern Beaches Council are the biggest tossers ever. Btw when I say 4ft these waves 99.99% of the time are sloppy, they break for half a second and then dissapear and its an ugly wash for kms out to sea. There is no better option. And without getting too political its a good chance that the persons who own these properties will be liberal voters so called free marketers who abhor the intervention of government in their day to day life.. except when it concerns their interests.. Nup it is anchored to the bedrock. Re: "I don't think that would preclude construction of reefs". He said when the work is complete, sand will be pushed up to cover most of the seawall. BB has there been any attempt to take the process to the Land and Environment Court? Here are the bloke credentials No-one wants to see visible structures built along the beachfront. I asked a mate who works at MHL this exact question. I liken it to a form of gambling. Absolutely spot on, Craig. Aside from high tides and Tsunamis, Im guessing most islands/atolls dont suffer much erosion when surrounded by reefs? What a pity as the potential for offshore reefs around there is really good. The council had an interest in preventing future erosion impacting Pittwater Rd, the main north-south artery on the NB. The role of the council in all this might come out if people push hard enough. Seawall construction isn't mentioned. I'd be happy to help draft it offline. I have written to the Office Of Local Government about my concerns over the hiding of the second DA. Thats just a done deal. The whole buy back argument being too expensive is a crock of shit. [happy to stand corrected on any of this] It appears that because of the relative lack of access to PC, the equation would be out of kilter to begin with. The wall is set to be seven metres tall, but three-quarters will then be covered by sand brought onto the beach. 47 votes, 47 comments. The market knows this. https://www.odt.co.nz/news/dunedin/tarzans-stormy-st-clair-skinny-dip. But thats about it . In the end it's all pretty simple though, as most beach erosion of consequence is caused by large/powerful waves. I like the cut of your pedantic job, there Lilas. Just wondering if the stairs built into the wall are private property? Just take the hit cost wise now and return the area to something close to its previous natural state. There are some fed govt areas that listen to this thinking. The Feds and States are the only ones with sufficient means to do anything, but for them its a case of not my problem. The facts stand as such, an Engineer/s designed this monstrosity and no amount of excuses can change that. Maybe you New South Weleshpeople do things differently. But, they just persist time and time again. Sorry Peter but we can't just take you on your word for it. The Local Government Act allows the council to set a special rate to pay for that. Moreover, the current DA makes no mention of sand nourishment from sand sourced elsewhere, such as deeper water offshore. Seawalls form a defining line between sea and land. You can go to court to complain about the price, but you cant object to the acquisition. Rad demo john interesting as Craig said to see the changes in shock waves returning seaward. bit of a worry but, when you buy a nice piece of land by the ocean in high risk erosion zone..why do tax payers have to buy the property back,,,surely the owner knew the risks ? I am actually shocked the collaroy houses in particular have gone up in value - i wouldnt be able to sleep at night living there! Can't see sand staying around with all that crazy activity. It looks like Chernobyl. Brendan Donohoe says the beach has been "permanently disabled. Its no wonder the climate brigade aren't on board telling us all there garbage but erosion been around a tad longer than the 80s. Good balanced post tango. 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