Pearl Beach properties vulnerable, says coastal plan

Multi-million dollar waterfront properties built on the beachfront dune in Coral Cres, Pearl Beach, are vulnerable to storm erosion and little can be done to protect them, a management plan adopted by Central Coast Council has found.

Options such as building up a dune in front of the properties to create a buffer against storm erosion were "not likely to be feasible in this location".

Some of the properties already had erosion protection measures installed and the plan does allow for properties to complete erosion protection works.

Such works would be completed at the cost of the landowner and would require development approval by Council or the NSW Coastal Panel.

Residents at a similar location on Wamberal Beach are currently in the Land and Environment Court challenging the NSW Coastal Panel's deemed refusal of their application for protection works.

The immediate and future erosion risk is identified as the main hazard to be addressed in this area of Pearl Beach.

Post-storm management measures were included in the plan and beach scraping would be used to build up sand from the beach berm to re-establish protection to the erosion escarpment and assist natural recovery of the beach.

Dunecare groups would be encouraged to maintain and revegetate any existing dune after a storm "using appropriate endemic vegetation".

The recommendations in the Gosford Beaches Coastal Zone Management Plan have been endorsed by Central Coast Council administrator Mr Ian Reynolds, but not yet approved by the NSW Government.

Some strategies in the plan, such as dune care and dune revegetation, are to be completed across the whole new local government area, even though the former Wyong Shire had a completely different approach to coastal hazard management and its draft plan has not yet been sent to the NSW Government for approval.

If the plan is approved by the NSW Government, in the first few years of its implementation, Central Coast Council will be responsible for redefining a building line and development controls for development within a hazard zone for this portion of the beach.

New buildings will be required to be built in a 2100 Stable Foundation Zone, which is not defined in the plan.

In the long term, Council, NSW Government and landowners will be required to design erosion protection works which would be "implemented once the erosion escarpment reaches a set trigger distance from the building line" but were "likely not to be required for several years".

No budget has been allocated for such works prior to 2025.

The plan divides the management of Pearl Beach into four precincts.

Precinct 1 covers the area south of Green Point Creek; Precinct 2 is the area between Green Point Creek and Middle Creek entrances; Precinct 3 is between Middle Creek and the Pearl Beach Lagoon outlet; and Precinct 4 covers the Coral Cres beachfront properties.

SOURCE:

Management Plan, 26 Apr 2017

Gosford Beaches Coastal Zone, Worley Parsons,