Current Works – What Has Been Happening?
NOTE: Council can only undertake works on Council land.
Council has undertaken the following works since the July storms:
- Cleared the beach of debris.
- Raised the level of sections of sand dune at the most vulnerable locations along the beach.
- Local coast care members have re-vegetated the raised sections of dune with coastal plantings and jute mat stabilisation. Click on Southern Coastcare Association of Tasmania to be involved.
- Supported the dune face and existing vegetation by pushing sand from above the high water mark to bulk the dune.
- Re-established the rock revetment wall at the southern end of the beach with the existing rock along with some additional rock to fill the voids created by the storm.
- Liaised with the Crown Land Services regarding the clean up of damaged areas of Crown Land.
Works planned to be undertaken:
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Construct eleven (11) additional timber steps for safe access onto the beach. Currently the steps are being designed and costed.
- Re-erect or construct new fencing at the formal access points onto the beach to restrict foot traffic from across the dunes onto the beach.
- Re-assess the dune system to determine additional sand nourishment quantities to support the dunes.
- Plant additional revegetation following the sand nourishment works.
The Works Program - Background
Council's works program in Lauderdale is guided by the actions list in the Climate Change Impacts on Clarence Coastal Areas Report.
Responding to the issues emerging with climate change, most notably sea level rise and extreme weather events, poses problems not before encountered by local governments. There is no guarantee that actions taken now will provide adequate future protection or that some protection programs will be able to be continued into the future.
Protection work is very costly, these costs are paid out of ratepayers' funds and these funds are limited. However, Council has in the past and will continue to act to protect beaches within the limits of the financial resources available to it and on the best current expert advice.
There is an added risk to the public purse that if action taken by Council in an endeavour to counteract effects of climate change is not effective or has other unintended effects, Council may be exposed to the risk of legal action.
Council is lobbying the State Government for some form of statutory protection against legal action where a local government has acted within the limits of its resources and on the basis of current expert advice to deal with coastal erosion.
This statutory protection is necessary to protect the public purse and to enable action to be taken with reduced fear of legal repercussions.
