Beach erosion to be assessed

Erosion and "recession" hazards on Umina beach will be assessed as part of Gosford Council's Open Coast and Broken Bay Beaches Coastal Processes and Hazards Re-Assessment project.

In the meantime, the southern end of the beach will remain fenced off until the beach access is no longer considered to be hazardous, a council media officer has said.

"Council has embarked upon the Gosford Open Coast and Broken Bay Beaches Coastal Processes and Hazards Re-Assessment project via external consultants.

"The consultant is required to undertake the project in accordance with NSW Coastline Management framework and will undertake the significant tasks at each of the open coast and Broken Bay beaches (including Umina)."

The project would include a revision of the coastal processes and hazard definition, up-dated hazard line definition, wave transformation modelling and development of a conceptual processes model and local quantitative assessment of coastal inundation at three open coast beaches and the four Broken Bay beaches.

"The results of this project will enable council to identify the erosion and recession hazards under a defined set of conditions and identify and implement measures to ensure long term protection of property and beach amenity," the media officer said.

"The community will be consulted throughout the project, and will have the opportunity to identify longer term management options for consideration."

"Council is aware of the impacts of erosion at the southern section of Umina Beach and has in the short term, as a matter of priority, ensured public safety is protected," she said.

"For this reason, the paraweb fencing which was erected to ensure people are aware of the hazard is still considered necessary due to the drop off from the car park to the beach. "Council is monitoring the condition of the beach access and the fencing will be removed once it is deemed safe."

Media statement, 16 Jul 2010 Alison Hood, Gosford Council