City of Newcastle has welcomed the NSW Government’s approval of its application to secure funding to deliver 5,500 tonnes of sand to the southern end of Stockton Beach as a short-term measure.
The work will see sand trucked in south of the Lexie’s Cafe accessway before the Christmas school holidays as the first of a two-stage project.
Additional sand will be deposited north of the accessway, adjacent to the Surf Club, as part of stage two in the New Year, subject to further approvals from the NSW Government.
The initial $350,000 project (funded 50:50 by City of Newcastle and the NSW Government) will restore the beach’s amenity and also allow the City to monitor sand movements along the Stockton Coast.
“I would like to thank our staff at the City who have worked tirelessly on short and medium-term measures of our Coastal Zone Management Plan, from dune stabilisation and sand scraping to beach renourishment, for many years,” Lord Mayor Nuatali Nelmes said.
“Our staff have worked hard to address immediate risk from recent erosion events and now, with another successful grant application, the NSW Government has agreed to jointly fund a one-off beach nourishment project. These funds will allow City of Newcastle to proceed with the trial restoration of the section of Stockton Beach from the holiday park to Lexie’s Cafe in the short term.
“The project aims to re-instate the amenity of the beach previously enjoyed by locals and visitors this summer. This work is not a preventative measure. A long-term solution to erosion is still required.
“The City continues to work with the community and NSW Department of Planning, Industry and Environment on long-term solutions, with investigation of multiple options, including offshore sand extraction for more substantive nourishment programs.
“Discussions to date with the Deputy Premier have been very positive. He understands the issue and that a solution similar to how the Gold Coast ensures the sustainability of its beaches is possible under the Minerals Act.
“I thank the Stockton community and particularly the Stockton Liaison Committee for their support and expertise as we secure both a short and long-term solution to coastal erosion.”
The replacement sand will be sourced from a local commercial quarry and require hundreds of truck movements to Stockton Beach.
Due to the presence of heavy machinery required to perform the work, access to parts of the beach will be restricted over coming weeks.
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