It's an awful lot of money, and some of you might be wondering where it's all going. Here's a basic explainer of what the wall will do, and how it will be built.

In 2016, designs were drawn up by a coastal engineer to create a more permanent seawall at Main, to prevent the erosion which was threatening to eventually take back the land the surf club and car park sit on.

The current rock wall which protects the car park is being undercut by waves.

"There was no geotextile fabric laid behind the rock wall, so every time there's a coastal event wave action comes up and eats away behind it, eventually causing some sections to collapse in on themselves," Council's Coordinator of Strategic Planning and Natural Resources Grant Nelson said.

Significant storm events in 2011, 2012 and 2016 damaged sections of the wall which then needed repairing - a process that would have perpetuated without a more permanent fix.

"In the past the council has repaired erosion using temporary ineffective measures - this time we are building proper retaining walls," Council General Manager Michael Coulter said when construction began in November 2016.

Tonnes of concrete were poured to form the concrete bleachers (steps) that shore up the surf club.

These bleachers were keyed into the bedrock several metres below the sand to ensure stability.

Proper vehicle access to the beach was also created.

Consideration of tidal movement and holiday traffic was factored into the timing of the construction. Still, all up it only took around six weeks to complete.

This was stage one of the project. The coming stages would need to be done progressively, as funding was made available.

And so that brings us up to today, and our promise of $3.6 million from both the State and Federal Governments to finish the job.

One condition of the funding is that the project be managed by the Public Works Advisory, who will take back a commission for that job.

But with council's proven track record, having completed the first stage in-house, Mr Coulter said they would make the offer to take on the project themselves, without it being put out to tender.

The grassed section in between the driveway and the beginning of the carpark will be another series of steps - or bleachers - much like the ones in front of the surf club.

The hillside will be reshaped to level the remaining grassed area, and the existing pandanus palms will be removed for safekeeping during the construction process, before being replanted later. One or two might need to be relocated, but Mr Nelson said they would try to keep them at Main Beach if possible.

A second shower will also be built beside the carpark, cutting out the hike back to your car from the surf club shower.

A sheer concrete wall will be constructed along the car park edge, with a new viewing platform jutting out from the centre - a place to watch the whales and the surfing action.

New aquatic-appropriate balustrading will replace the old rusting rails around the carpark.

And the two existing wooden access ramps will be removed and replaced with more durable enviro-mesh ones.

There are a few bureaucratic and administrative hurdles to get over before the machinery comes in.

But Grant Nelson said the hope is to have the work completed within three months next year, outside peak tourist season periods.

While it is well-known that concrete is one of the most destructive construction materials on earth, reportedly causing up to nine per cent of global CO2 emissions, Mr Coulter said the use of it in this case was a very necessary evil.

"With the repercussions of climate change and the rising of sea levels, it's very likely that if we didn't do this, there'd simply be no beach left to protect here in another 50 years' time," he said.

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