NSW Greens MP Abigail Boyd has today, Tuesday, September 12, tabled the Stop Wamberal Beach Seawall petition in NSW Parliament.
It was tabled at 12.49pm.
The petition was instigated by Corinne Lamont from community group Wamberal Beach Save Our Sand (SOS).
Ms Boyd said the petition had been signed by 1,377 people.
Earlier in a press release Ms Boyd said:
“The Central Coast community objects to the proposed Wamberal seawall put forward by Central Coast Council Administrator Rik Hart, which would exacerbate the broader problem of coastal erosion in the long-term and would have lasting catastrophic consequences on surrounding lagoon properties, seaflow, biodiversity and the climate.
“The petition calls for the seawall to be stopped immediately, until a comprehensive State Government Environmental Impact Study (EIS) has been completed and adequate consultation has occurred.
“The petition also calls for Wamberal Beach to stay in public hands by stopping all public land transfers.”
As explained in the Legislative Council Notice Paper No. 21—Tuesday 12 September 2023, Council-under-administration has adopted engineering design guidelines to build the wall and is working with land owners to put in a development application for a whole of embayment approach to the issue.
The notice paper states:
“That this House notes the Stop Wamberal Seawall campaign by community group Wamberal Beach Save Our Sand (SOS) which calls for:
(a) a comprehensive State Government Environmental Impact Study (EIS) to be ordered into the flooding effects that a proposed Wamberal Beach seawall would have on Terrigal and Wamberal lagoon environs,
(b) a thorough State Government investigation of how the proposed Wamberal Beach TPS (seawall) progressed to its current status and investigate Council’s apparent dismissal of advice by Professor Andrew Short (USYD) and the Jacob Marsden 2017 NSW State Government Wamberal Beach Cost Benefit Analysis that seawall end effects would cause increased lagoon flooding,
(c) the NSW Government to act to prevent the Central Coast Council proceeding with their joint seawall Development Application (DA) until the above mentioned EIS and administrative review have been conducted and publicly reported, and a newly elected Council is put in place in September 2024,
(d) the NSW Government to immediately stop the transfer of public land along Wamberal Beach to Council, noting that Council require ownership of that land for its TPS DA co-application,
(e) upon completing the above mentioned EIS and review, an investigation of all possible solutions to sustain Wamberal Beach, including adaptive approaches, that would not increase risks to beach amenity or lagoon properties and ecosystems,
(f) the NSW Government to work with Council to ensure Council provides the community with more economically sustainable adaptive strategies that satisfy the objects of the Coastal Management Act 2016, including expert consideration of natural dune stabilisation and sand nourishment options, and
(g) an appeal at the Land and Environment Court to overturn existing Wamberal Beach seawall DAs that contravene case law such as Eggers vs Gosford Council, as those developments would endanger adjacent dwellings, and because the previous decision to consent to seawall DA was not made on merits.
(3) That this House calls on the Government to act urgently in response to the Wamberal SOS petition by taking the actions requested.
