Sand dunes are important

I am beginning to wonder if the people living on the Peninsula are aware of the importance of the sand dunes from Ettalong to Umina.

Sand dunes are constantly being made and moved; the sea has been doing that job forever.

It is therefore of great concern to see the attitude of many people who seem to want a view of the sea at all cost.

Trees and other vegetation are removed; rubbish is dumped and even the council busily removes tonnes of sand from Umina Beach every week, believing that that is what the people want.

This costs ratepayers a great deal of money, particularly since it is dumped at the Woy Woy Tip.

We are constantly being told that Council is running out of room for all our rubbish and yet this valuable resource, sand which should be building up the dune defence system, is filling it instead.

This dune system is the last defence against the rising sea levels.

Unbelievable? What about the Pacific Islands, think of Venice, and of Bangladesh.

Do not think that it will never happen here.

The Peninsula is a very flat sandplain, much of which used to be a wetland.

It has been inundated a number of times in the past 30 years and with global warming it will no doubt happen again.

The business fraternity and Gosford Council must stop playing God and think carefully before they destroy any more of the system.

They are putting at risk the homes and lives of all those people living on the Peninsula.

We must all learn to live with the planet instead of constantly destroying it.

Margaret Lund, Woy Woy Bay