13 options for dealing with the problem
Brief details of the 13 options, as shown on page 89 and 90 of Councils draft report, are:
1.Reactive Management Response: This option is a response where council would react to the impacts of coastal erosion as they occur by removing services and roadways as erosion takes place. Properties would not be purchased by council or government and the loss of freehold land would be a risk to the landowner. (Our note: Without services, Council will deem the property uninhabitable and evict the owner without any compensation. They then order the demolition of the home at the owner’s expense and the land becomes Council owned reserve. The green Mayor of Byron Bay and her Council now have a plan underway to force property owners to demolish their homes at their own expense if the beach erosion zone comes within 20 meters of the dwelling. No doubt the same scenario would most likely apply in Lake Cathie.)
2. Planned Retreat with voluntary purchase: Planned retreat from the coastline, involving voluntary purchase of homes at risk at market value and rehabilitation of the land on which they were on, with its return to public use. (Our note: The market value has already been artificially deflated by a massive amount due to Councils placement of a ban on all development – market value would by then be close to zero)
3. Beach nourishment plus groyne and revetment (400 m): Beach nourishment of the area seaward of Illaroo Road using sand obtained from the Lake Cathie entrance area to form a dune and beach berm, combined with construction of a rock or geotube groyne to prevent loss of the nourished beach profile due to longshore drift back into the Lake Cathie entrance area and construction of a 400 meter long revetment to reduce the coastline hazard risk to Illaroo Road.
4. Beach nourishment plus groyne: Beach nourishment of the area seaward of Illaroo Road using sand obtained from the Lake Cathie entrance area to form a dune and beach berm, combined with construction of a rock or geotube groyne to prevent loss of the nourished beach profile due to longshore drift back into the Lake Cathie entrance area.
5. Groyne (geotubes): Provision of a more temporary geotube groyne approximately 50 m long near the entrance to Lake Cathie to encourage accretion of sand updrift and improve recreational amenity of the beach south of the groyne. Such a groyne would be subject to evaluation of its effectiveness over time.
6. Revetment (400 m): Provision of a 400 m long sloping rock revetment to protect Illaroo Road from coastal erosion.
7. Groyne (rock): Provision of a permanent rock groyne approximately 50 m long near the entrance to Lake Cathie to encourage accretion of sand updrift and improve recreational amenity of the beach south of the groyne.
8. Artificial Reef: Provision of an artificial reef offshore to improve the wave climate of the beach and encourage accretion in front of Illaroo Road
9. Vertical Seawall (400 m): Provision of a 400 m long vertical front concrete seawall to protect Illaroo Road from coastal erosion.
10. Beach nourishment plus revetment (400m): Regular beach nourishment of the area seaward of Illaroo Road using sand obtained from the Lake Cathie entrance area to form a dune and beach berm, combined with construction of a 400 m long revetment to reduce the coastline hazard risk to Illaroo Road.
11. Beach nourishment: Beach nourishment of the area seaward of Illaroo Road using sand obtained from the Lake Cathie entrance area to form a dune and beach berm;
12. Vertical Seawall (entire beach): Provision of a vertical front seawall extending from the entrance to Lake Cathie down to Middle Rock to protect Illaroo Road and Chepana Street (1200 m long)
13. Revetment (entire beach): Provision of a sloping revetment extending from the entrance to Lake Cathie down to Middle Rock to protect Illaroo Road and Chepana Street (1200 m long)
The direct web link to this complete report on Councils website is below: (It’s so big, it’s spread over 5 separate PDF documents.)