Storm brewing over Scotts Head beach management

And for good reason – the idyllic and gentle bay settled in the cosy seaside hamlet commands sweeping views to the north, white sand for days, and a craggy headland that’s just begging to be explored.

But all is not well; the issue of stormwater outflow has been a drain on the Aussie beach ideal for over two years.

At present, there is an open pipe which discharges untreated runoff directly onto the corner of Forster beach between the boat ramp and the caravan park.

In June 2016 downpours washed polluted water onto the sand, damaging the culverts, causing major erosion and rendering the adjacent beach access ramp unsafe for use.

The ramp has since been replaced by stairs, but they have created a new access problem for people with mobility issues.

The Council has been intending to fix the beach access, improve the seawalls and find a safer solution than an open drain for stormwater management. 

But local resident Moira Ryan is frustrated that not much has progressed in the two years since the problems were identified.

Council minutes from this year’s August 30 meeting state that “due to other funding commitments the project was placed on hold for an extended period and was reactivated in early 2018...staff are now working progressively to achieve outcomes prior to the end of the 2018/19 financial year”.

The design to improve the stormwater outflow and the beach access has now almost reached completion; strategic planning and natural resources coordinator Grant Nelson said it should be finished in October.

But when Cr John Ainsworth asked at the meeting how long proposed works would be expected to take, assistant manager for engineering services Paul Gallagher replied that we’d be looking at an eight to ten week timeframe. 

And because no major works will be carried out during the fast approaching peak tourist season, it is likely now that nothing will be started until after Easter next year.

Ms Ryan said people who are old enough to remember will tell you that the area where the surf club now sits used to be a tombolo, with water flowing right up to where the rec hut stands – but human intervention has changed all of that.

She also said there was once talk of an artificial wetland being constructed beside the club to house some of the runoff – but increased development has put a stopper on that idea.

“And of course, with more developed, hard surfaces, you get more runoff,” she said.

So she sees the problem getting worse before Council is able to apply more permanent fixes.

And as a founding member of the Scotts Head Dune Care – the first of its kind in NSW – the damage the drain is having on the corner of the dunes is frustrating Ms Ryan to no end.

“In some places there’s only about two metres of hind dune left, and it’s exasperating to see big trees falling in and damaging the amenity.”

Ideally, she would like to see the beach scraped in the corner to bolster the dune.

During community consultation, 32 different submissions and a petition were received by Council with a myriad ideas for solutions.

But most were in agreement that the best course of action would be to divert the stormwater flow around the headland and onto the less-used Little Beach.

But last month Council resolved to “finalise designs with the intent of maintaining the stormwater outlet in its existing location”.

The consistent issue for management of the area has been cost; due to financial constraints, Council has not been able to even investigate the Little Beach diversion as a possibility. 

“We do not have any estimate of costs at this time and it would be subject to additional investigations to determine if it is a feasible option technically and financially.  For example it is queried if there is sufficient fall to extend the pipe by that distance and what, if any, geotechnical constraints may exist in the area,” Grant Nelson said, mentioning that Council are actively pursuing grant options under its estuary management program.

“Obviously Council haven’t been here when it’s rained,” Ms Ryan, who has documented major storm and erosion events in the area for years, said.

But the wait for funding boosts mean more inevitable delays to the project, and in the meantime Ms Ryan is concerned about beach safety, especially over the peak holiday period.

“We know from testing that the stormwater is full of toxic chemicals, and we don’t know if that’s left residue in the sand,” she said to Council.

“And last year we had record numbers in our local Nippers program who use that beach.

“About two metres of concrete around the drain has crumbled away, the drain itself still doesn’t have a grate on it although that was supposed to happen last year, and the rockface is broken and you have kids clambering up and down it – it’s an accident waiting to happen.

“I’m not having a go at Council – I know there are financial constraints – but it’s about action and planning.”

Ms Ryan said, as a grandmother, she’d at least like to see some sort of grate and an all-access ramp put in place to ensure safety for kids and the less abled during the intervening Summer period.

“Beach access to meet disability standards is always difficult to achieve given the variable beach conditions, despite this Council will review the access situation in consultation with the reserve trust manager (caravan park) prior to peak periods and determine what temporary work may be required in the corner,” Mr Nelson said.