Byron Shire Council warns of beach dangers; beach access closed
May 25, 2009
All Byron Shire Council managed beach accesses are closed until further notice due to recent coastal erosion resulting from the severe storms and the potential of beach dunes to collapse.
Byron Shire residents and visitors are being asked not to use any Council beach access and not to go near the beach escarpments and sand dunes for fear of collapse.
Byron Shire Council’s general manager Graeme Faulkner said: “The severe storms have devastated the coastline, with dangerous vertical sand dune escarpments of up to 5 metres along the beaches.
“The sand dunes are at an immediate risk of collapse and we advise everyone to stay off the beaches and away from above and below the sand dunes.
“We are also recommending that people should avoid the beach altogether because of the dangers poised by steep escarpments and high tides.”
Signage to close all Byron Shire beach access points is currently being erected.
The areas affected include the entire Byron Shire coastline including South Golden Beach, New Brighton, Ocean Shores, Byron Bay down to Suffolk Park.
“An area of considerable concern is Belongil Beach, Byron Bay,” Mr Faulkner said.
Four households in the Belongil Beach area were asked to evacuate on late Saturday afternoon at the request of SES following advice from engineers from the Department of Commerce. The recommendation was issued in the interest of public safety.
Byron Shire Council is currently securing structural and coastal engineering resources from State Government agencies, such as the Department of Commence and Department of Environmental and Climate Change, to carry out an urgent assessment of houses that may be at immediate risk from damage from the recent severe weather.
“Due to the accesses to beaches being dangerous and the upcoming high tides, restoration to the beach accesses is not possible at this time,” Mr Faulkner said.
“Any pressure placed on the dunes may result in the escarpments collapsing, placing considerable risk to staff or contractors.”
Byron Shire Council is expecting further beach erosion over the coming days due to current swell and high tides.
This may expose debris such as rocks, tree limbs and even car bodies dumped on the beach in a similar emergency many years ago.
Byron Shire Council will be cleaning up beach hazards and asks everyone to please stay away from any exposed areas, keep off the sand dunes and stay well away from the erosion escarpments.
PICTURE: Erosion at Belongil Beach, Byron Bay.
Related Articles:
Everyone is aware that the homes in Belongil beach were built in an erosion zone but back then the words Global Warming didn’t exsist.The rising of sea levels affects all beachfront land and as in many other coastal communities this is an important issue. Belongil Beach, whatever the council issues are, needs to be saved to protect Byron itself. This place prides its self on its beach lifestyle but this only seems to be the case if you live in the areas that the council has no problem spending millions of the taxpayers’ money on such as the main beach. The council didn’t have a problem building its own un-natural sea wall to protect its beach car park but the owners of property are not allowed to do the same? Byron Bay council should be ashamed of itself if we lose Belongil.