An artist’s impression of what the completed wall will look like. Image: Eurobodalla Shire Council.
A new rock wall is being built on the NSW South Coast as a bulwark against erosion threatening a nearby road.
Eurobodalla Shire Council is building the wall along Long Beach, Batemans Bay, after east coast lows caused erosion along much of the coastline.
This has exposed the edge of Bay Road and the roots of nearby trees.
Truckloads of rock are arriving at the area this month, as work on a 250 metre rock revetment begins.
Council’s director of infrastructure Graham Attenborough said the structure would hug the natural curve of the beach.
“We’ll blend along the top with coastal vegetation, with rocks still visible depending on natural sand movement,” Mr Attenborough said.
“We’ll be doing all we can to protect those magnificent and much-loved Norfolk pines too.”
It will use durable igneous rock, sloping up from the sand towards the road, on a 250 metre stretch at the eastern end of the beach.
“We’re repositioning sandbags, moving large rocks onto the foreshore and, eventually, returning sand to the beach,” Mr Attenborough said.
“Access will be restricted at times, shifting as work progresses. We’ll store material on the reserve as you head toward Long Beach Road.”
Trucks and excavators will also be present over the next few months.
According to the review of environmental factors for the project published on council’s website, the 250 metre rock wall will run from near Fauna Avenue to beyond the cul-de-sac.
The review also notes there could be a second section for the project, which would extend the wall’s western edge for about 700 metres.
Storms have caused erosion along the edge of Bay Road and exposed the roots of nearby trees. Photo: Eurobodalla Shire Council.
The project is the first on-the-ground rollout from council’s Open Coast Coastal Management Program (CMP), which guides work on public land and identifies community infrastructure that needs protecting.
According to the CMP, Long Beach is one of 12 locations in Eurobodalla Shire flagged as being at risk of shoreline recession and beach erosion, risking nearby properties and infrastructure.
It is also facing coastal and tidal inundation, and dune instability, while Long Beach Headland is among the local locations facing cliff instability.
“The intention of this phase is to preserve the foundation of Bay Road under severe coastal storm events targeting the location of immediate risk,” according to the CMP.
“Beach nourishment to ensure amenity and beach use will also likely be required pending outcomes of phase one investigation and design.”
Mr Attenborough acknowledged local frustration at the pace of progress.
“It’s tough seeing your shoreline disappear. We feel that too and we’re glad to be finally moving forward,” he said.
“There are a lot of hoops to jump through before all levels of government sign off the work.”
Funding for the wall has been provided by the NSW and Federal governments, and it is being carried out as part of the council’s Batemans Bay coastal protection program.
The work started this month and is expected to finish in early 2026.
However, the beach will be accessible over the Christmas holidays (the work will be shut down and the area made safe for the public).
