Old stormwater pipes have been exposed to the elements by erosion at Surfside Beach. Photo: Eurobodalla Shire Council.
Eurobodalla Shire’s councillors spent considerable time at council’s regular meeting on 16 July discussing residents’ concerns about coastal erosion and the associated risk to their homes.
Councillors discussed how residents could protect their homes in both the short- and long-term and, more generally, how residents could prepare for emergencies like major storms.
Also discussed during the open session of the meeting was the state of the shire’s public toilets, while the blowout of construction costs for the Eurobodalla Southern Water Supply Storage (Southern Storage) from $106.7 million in December 2018 to at least $150 million was noted.
In the public forum Surfside resident Jason Ford raised the issue of the erosion at Surfside Beach and the lack of a response. Although the issue is mentioned in the council’s Coastal Management Plan (CMP) there has been no work to remediate or mitigate the erosion, which Mr Ford said had recently accelerated.
“We thought the CMP was a clear plan of management but on 20 December 2023 we were advised there was no action planned despite significant erosion and significant concern,” Mr Ford said. He asked who was responsible for the work and when residents might see action.
The CMP said that although councils must prepare CMPs they could only be actioned with State Government help in terms of funding and large-scale works. Transport for NSW, for example, is responsible for dredging the Clyde River for nourishment of Surfside Beach.
Mr Ford asked for transparency when the council advocates to the State Government and for frequent updates. He also asked what action residents could take in the interim.
Trish Hellier, another Surfside resident, voiced similar concerns. “Property owners should be able to sandbag their properties,” she said. She asked why the council had prioritised Caseys Beach for remediation work given it was “pristine” compared with Surfside Beach.
Ms Hellier said some of the pylons of the new Batemans Bay bridge had affected the flow of the river into Surfside.
Shire Mayor Mat Hatcher said there were letters backwards and forwards to the State Government about the coastal erosion issue. “At the moment our main game is to lobby the State Government to see what assistance we can get from them,” he said. “There is still contention about who is responsible and who should action.”
Councillors then discussed what actions residents could take around sandbagging their properties, particularly in the event of a major storm and emergencies more generally.
General manager Warwick Winn said in Penrith, where he had formerly worked, responsibility for sandbagging was split between the SES and the council. He said his team would look into the methodologies available for council to access sand for itself and for its residents. “I would like to see our own supply. You need sand and sandbags.” He said he would provide information back to council and make it available to residents via the council’s website.
After much discussion Councillor Anthony Mayne proposed that “council convenes and facilitates with key agencies as a matter of urgency to meet and explore appropriate responses in the event of an emergency and a report be provided back to council”.
Deputy mayor Alison Worthington said that meant the council was opening itself to a lot more work, work that the State Government was supposed to be doing. “The Reconstruction Authority has done that work,” Cr Worthington said. “We should just ask for a report of what was done.”
The meeting’s papers included replies from various agencies to the council’s advocacy. Cr Worthington said it was “another series of disappointing responses. We are constantly in this advocacy space and whatever it is, one government agency hands it to another”.
Ms Hellier thanked the council for the work it had done to improve the appearance and cleanliness of the shire’s public toilets. Councillors agreed staff had done a great job.
Councillor Amber Schutz said they had methodically ranked and prioritised the upgrades to do it efficiently and cost-effectively and noted “the amazing amount of pride and passion in what is a key element of how visitors interacted with the shire”.
Mayor Hatcher said feedback about Malua Bay’s facilities was “fantastic” and that Mogo was next to be upgraded. “There has been nothing but positive feedback.”
The meeting’s agenda included an update on Southern Storage. It said the council’s contribution to the project would have to increase to cover the higher cost without further Federal or State government funding. The construction costs were attributed to supply issues and labour shortages associated with COVID, competition for resources after the Black Summer bushfires and floods, low unemployment, plus higher fuel and material costs due to the Ukraine War. A potential increase in biodiversity offsets is another potential source of further cost increases. Completion is now expected in early 2025.
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