Petition calls for investigation into coastal management

Councillor Corinne Lamont has launched a petition calling for an investigation into coastal management.

With flooding and coastal erosion taking centre stage for residents as the wet weather continues this week, Lamont wants the community to sign the petition calling on the NSW Government to urgently investigate what she describes as years of systemic coastal mismanagement by Central Coast Council. 

She wants the State Government to initiate a formal investigation into “widespread failures”, particularly at Wamberal Beach, Tuggerah Lakes and The Entrance North.

“There are very obvious coastal failures that have dominated the community’s concern for years – Wamberal Beach, Tuggerah Lakes/The Entrance Channel and, as a result, The Entrance North,” Lamont said. 

“Both have been mismanaged.

“Both have suffered from a lack of transparency, poor priorities, political interference, and the sidelining of community input.”

She said it was time for an investigation

“Someone has to be held accountable,” Lamont said.

“This cannot continue to be normal business on the Central Coast; we should not be dealing with repetitive emergency situations.”

Lamont made it clear the petition and views are her own and not those of Central Coast Council.

She is now calling on the NSW Government to intervene and investigate: the decision-making process and use of public money for the proposed Wamberal seawall; Council’s failure to deliver dredging flood mitigation at Tuggerah Lakes/The Entrance Channel; Council’s “unacceptable” delay in completing Coastal Management Plans (CMPs); and broader systemic coastal management governance failures.

“This is not just about Wamberal Beach or Tuggerah Lakes,” Lamont said.

“It’s about all our beaches, waterways and coastal environments, assets that define our lifestyle, economy and identity.

“We just can’t keep getting this wrong.

“That’s why I’ve launched this petition.

“I’ll be presenting it to the Minister for Local Government in a month, calling for immediate action.”

Lamont said the former Liberal Government established the Wamberal Beach Seawall Advisory Taskforce to push through a vertical seawall.

 “This was done without elected councillors, without community representatives, without community consultation on non-wall options, and against expert advice and community sentiment,” she said.

“Sand nourishment has always been a long-term solution supported by the community and experts. 

“Let’s be honest, this is a private seawall DA, yet Council has committed massive public resources to it.”

Lamont estimates Council has already spent over $1M supporting the seawall DA process.

She is equally concerned by Council’s handling of Tuggerah Lakes, where dredging has effectively ceased without formal explanation.

“To this day, I’ve not seen a single Council resolution that said dredging at The Entrance Channel should stop,” she said.

“Yet it has. Why? No one can answer.”

Lamont acknowledged there were EPA issues with dredging but believes that could have been resolved if dredging continued.

“If dredging The Entrance Channel/ Tuggerah Lakes had continued, that sand could have been used to replenish The Entrance North Beach,” she said.

“Instead, we’ve seen more severe lake flooding coupled with massive beach scouring, severe loss of land, and erosion now dangerously close to private dwellings at The Entrance North Beach.”

She said Council’s biggest failure was the fact it still has no CMPs.

“One of the most damning facts is that Council still hasn’t completed a single Coastal Management Program, even though they’ve been required since 2018 with the new NSW Coast Management Framework,” Lamont said.

The Tuggerah Lakes CMP will not be finished until 2027.

The Open Coast CMP, which covers beaches like Wamberal and the Entrance North won’t go on public exhibition until the second half of 2025.

“Without CMPs, Council can’t access the proper NSW funding needed for protection work or dredging,” Lamont said.

“This is costing the community, both financially and environmentally.”

She asked residents to send any additional insights or evidence that should be presented to the minister to [email protected].

The petition is here: https://www.change.org/Investigation_Coastal_Management_CentralCoast