Surfside Beach has seen repeated calls for action on erosion near homes. Photo: Eurobodalla Shire Council.
A South Coast council has unveiled an emergency plan to rebuild a damaged sand dune.
Eurobodalla Shire Council will use a process called beach scraping to rebuild a sand dune.
It’s part of efforts against ongoing coastal erosion at Surfside, in Batemans Bay, and follows high tides, storm surges and an east coast low that combined in April 2025 to erode the remaining shoreline.
At the time, one long-time resident told Region her community felt like they were “waiting for the houses to fall in”.
She also said her community had been raising their concerns with Eurobodalla Shire Council and the NSW Government over several years and the situation continued to worsen.
“[Some houses have] about 30 paces, other properties have got 10 paces to their back boundary and then another five paces to the edge of the dune, which is now a cliff,” she said.
In the storm’s aftermath, residents also called for a natural disaster declaration as part of their push for further action.
Mayor Mathew Hatcher acknowledged the community’s role in advocating for the work.
“We’ve heard the passionate requests for action from Surfside residents, and we’re pleased to be able to deliver this emergency response in collaboration with the NSW Government,” he said.
In beach scraping, sand from the intertidal zone is used to reshape the dune at the back of the beach.
All environmental approvals have been obtained for the work.
Five thousand foreshore-compatible plants will also be planted to revegetate the dune. Council’s environment team will work with the local Landcare branch to coordinate a community planting effort.
The restoration is an emergency response action under the Open Coast Coastal Management Program (CMP), which guides work on public land and identifies community infrastructure that needs protecting.
Council’s general manager Mark Ferguson said it was an early step in the process of managing coastal erosion.
“With the support of Bega MP Dr Michael Holland, we’ve been able to put together an emergency response to address community concerns,” he said.
“This funding allows us to provide short-term protection while long-term strategies are developed.”
Earlier this year, the council also announced it was building a 250-metre rock wall along nearby Long Beach, after east coast lows also caused erosion that exposed the edge of Bay Road and the roots of nearby trees.
It was the first on-the-ground rollout from the council’s CMP.
Construction on the work at Surfside is set to start on 22 September (next Monday), if the weather allows.
The project will start at the northern carpark and progress along the length of the beach.
The NSW Government and Eurobodalla Shire Council funding is covering the cost of the work.
The University of NSW has also submitted a grant application, with support from the council, to work on mapping sand movements at Surfside over four years.
Further details on the works can be found on the council’s website, which has information on projects in the Batemans Bay area and how council manages coastal areas.
