Beautiful one day gone the next

Beach erosion in the Main Beach and Narrowneck area’s of the Gold Coast.
Source: The Courier-Mail

EXTREME erosion across the Gold Coast has stripped beaches of sand, destroyed walkways and almost toppled lifeguard towers.

The wild weather which caused the erosion is expected to continue for the next five days, with beaches remaining closed and dangerous, the worst stretches along Main Beach and Miami.

Council workers will have to wait until the severe weather clears before they can replenish the sand on the ravaged dunes.

Many Coast beaches have all but disappeared in some areas, replaced by three to four-metre sand cliffs.

Beach erosion in the Main Beach and Narrowneck area’s of the Gold Coast. Picture: Gold Coast Bulletin

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Monterey Keys resident Miriam Golby took her children Josh and Lily to Narrowneck to see the erosion this week.

“It’s incredible. You could almost fall off walking along the edge,” Mrs Golby said.

In pictures: The vanishing Gold Coast beaches

Damaged walkways at Miami Beach. Picture: Gold Coast Bulletin

“You really do think where’s our beautiful beach gone and how are they going to fix it. It’s just so extreme.”

Steep sand cliffs prevented most surf lifesaving clubs from getting equipment and IRBs onto the beach.

Currumbin Beach Vikings SLSC patrol captain Peter Nelson said they could not assess if the ocean was safe because they could not get on to the beach.

“We can’t afford to risk the equipment or our own safety to open a beach that probably shouldn’t be open anyway,” Mr Nelson said.

The club is still waiting for council workers to retrieve a skip bin that had been sitting on the sand since Friday.

Repairing the storm-lashed beaches could cost tens of millions of dollars.

Bond University Professor of Environmental Management and Science, Tor Hundloe, said artificial reefs were the only solution to prevent further damage.

“It would cost about $10 million to create one to protect a section of beach the size of Burleigh, so it will be costly,” Hundloesaid.

“But the reefs will help ease the force of the waves, giving council a chance to replenish sand while not ruining surf breaks.”

Engineering Services deputy chairman Councillor Paul Taylor said about 30 employees were on standby ready to move once the weather stabilised later in the week.

“We’re just maintaining things at the moment” Cr Taylor said.

“Everyone should stay away from the beach at the moment, the way the water is, until it subsides.”

Beautiful one day gone the next