An estimated $7 million is needed to stop erosion at Lady Robinsons Beach, a Bayside Council report has found.
The beach may have be declared a coastal erosion ‘hot spot’ under NSW Government guidelines in order to qualify for funding under the Coastal and Estuary Grants program.
Yet, despite significant ongoing problems of erosion over the years, the beach may not qualify as an erosion hot spot under current government guidelines.
The State Government studies have identified 15 coastal erosion hotspots, which are seen as areas where five or more houses and or a public road are located in a current coastal hazard area.
But because houses are not threatened, Lady Robinson Beach has not been identified as a coastal erosion hotspot, even though the impacts of sand erosion is causing a risk to beach users and impacting on the stability of the seawall.
The council needs funding to find a long-term solution to the significant ongoing problem of sand movements along the shores of Botany Bay that has led to a jetty sitting on sand south of Depena Reserve and the destruction of another beach at Carruthers Drive, Dolls Point.
It will apply for two grants, one for sand nourishment at Ramsgate Beach, and the other for planning and design for future ground works along Lady Robinsons Beach.
The former Rockdale Council has undertaken a number of studies to identify the causes, impacts and potential solutions to erosion along the beach, as well as implementing on-ground works.
Experts have identified that the construction of Sydney Airport and Port Botany have changed the wave environment with negative impacts along large sections of the beachfront south of President Avenue.
This has caused significant erosion along sections of the beachfront which is impacting on the amenity and safety of areas of Lady Robinsons Beach.
Natural processes have also played a role, causing sand to increase in other sections of the beach, particularly north of President Avenue.
One of the key ways to manage erosion is sand “nourishment” where sand is moved from areas where it has increased to areas that have eroded.
But the council’s report described this as a short term solution.
The construction of groynes are also seen as a priority but these are seen as only slowing the movement of sand and do not stop the process.
Two significant restoration projects were undertaken to stop erosion. $5 million was spent in 1997 and $8.3 million in 2006 including construction of 13 groynes and the shifting of 461,000 square-metres of sand.
Studies commissioned by Bayside Council identify a number of recommendations to address the impact of sand movement with high priority actions estimated to cost around $7 million.
The council has consulted with Road and Maritime Services which is responsible for administering land below the mean high water mark in Botany Bay.
But the council has not received a commitment from the RMS to implement work that will halt erosion.
“The Impact on Lady Robinsons Beach has been significantly exacerbated by the infrastructure that has occurred in Botany Bay, hence it is critical Bayside Council continues to advocate to State and Federal Government agencies for assistance in managing this issue into the future,” the council report said.
