Australians to fortify coast homes against climate

Reuters 19 Oct 09;

CANBERRA (Reuters) - Australians living beside some of the country's finest beaches will be allowed to fortify their beachfront homes against rising seas and storms, as climate change increasingly threatens the heavily-populated east coast.

Many Australians live within a short car-ride of the coast and are feeling the impact of more frequent storms blamed in part on global warming, prompting national soul-searching over whether to adopt a "retreat or defend" approach to beach living.

Environmentalists fear widespread coastal defenses could scar beaches and cause massive erosion, as the movement of sand is blocked by concrete and stone barriers.

But the government in New South Wales (NSW) state, home to a third of the country's 22 million population, said it would override local planning and allow coastal fortification, with appropriate environmental safeguards.

"It's not just, 'I'll build a wall', it'll protect me and I'll be right mate," Simon Smith, the Deputy Director of the NSW Department of Environment and Climate Change, told the Sydney Morning Herald newspaper.

Scientists say Australia is experiencing "accelerated climate change" because of its dry climate, resulting in more frequent storms, droughts and estimated average temperature rises of between 1.4 to 5.8 degrees Celsius by 2100.

It is estimated that over 700,000 coastal properties in Australia are threatened by rising sea levels, with coastal flooding and erosion costing NSW A$200 million a year.

The NSW government said it would list 19 "hot spot" beaches where waterfront homes were at risk from rising sea levels, including several along Sydney's upmarket northern coast, where the popular television series "Home and Away" was largely filmed.

Property owners in those areas would be given more rights to construct sea walls and barriers, with the state government appointing itself as final judge over any barrier plans rejected by local councils.

The plan would also target the famous resort town of Byron Bay and the nearby international surfing mecca of Lennox Head, after legal wrangles between coastal homeowners and the council.

(Reporting by Jehane Sharah; Editing by Rob Taylor and Bill Tarrant)

Councils warn house protection will be at the expense of beaches
Marian Wilkinson, Sydney Morning Herald 20 Oct 09;

THE Environment Minister, John Robertson, is defending newly unveiled plans to deal with erosion and rising sea levels in the face of a barrage of criticism from councils claiming the Government is putting the rights of beachfront property owners ahead of protecting some of the state's best known beaches.

Included in the new plans is a proposal for beachfront property owners to be allowed to appeal to the State Government if local councils refuse them permission to build sea walls and barriers. The owners will also have to pay for beachfront defences of their properties and any impact on other residents.

"Will the NSW State Government ensure that the building of protection works will not result in the loss of beaches?" said the Mayor of Byron Bay, Jan Barham, who is in a legal battle with property owners at Belongil beach over the building of a protection wall.

"The beach is an intrinsic part of our lifestyle in Byron Shire. To lose a beach, to not be able to walk along the coastline, is a concern of coastal councils".

Mr Robertson insisted yesterday the State Government would allow the construction of barriers only if they were "environmentally sustainable".

But a coastal erosion expert, Professor Andy Short, said it was extremely difficult for residents to build a sea wall defence without affecting the beach and other properties.

"We faced this issue in Narrabeen when the council proposed to build a sea wall along Collaroy beach and the community came out in their thousands and protested against a wall that would have severely degraded the amenity of one of Sydney's most popular beaches," he said.

Mr Robertson said the state faced a serious problem with coastal erosion compounded by the threat from rising sea levels and it was important to act now.

"These changes are about making sure taxpayers aren't required to foot the bill for coastal erosion and properties being eroded away by sea level rise," he said.

The minister identified 27 houses at Wooli beach on the North Coast at risk from erosion along with properties on the Central Coast and at Collaroy and Narrabeen. As reported in yesterday's Herald, the Government named 19 coastal erosion "hot spots" from Batemans Bay to Belongil beach.

The president of the Local Government Association, Genia McCaffery, warned the minister not to ride roughshod over the local councils.

Geoff Withycombe, of the Sydney Coastal Councils Group, said he believed the plan would come at a cost to the beaches. "Allowing beachfront property owners to defend their properties at their cost will only result in the transfer of the real costs of such an intervention to the community, tourism and the environment resulting in the loss of beach amenity and public access to the coast, to the [short-term] benefit of a few property owners."