Fragile coastline cops another beating as nervous property owners look on
The region's fragile coastline has taken another battering as nervous property owners and councils brace for the fallout from this week's wild weather.
Strong and gusty winds and elevated east to southeasterly waves are expected to persist between the Hunter and Mid North coasts until the end of the week.
Erosion control measures at Stockton have withstood the worst of the wild weather, however, other parts of the coast have been severely damaged.
Midcoast Council crews were forced to launch yet another rescue operation at Jimmys Beach as waves gnawed away at the thin strip of sand protecting homes along the Boulevard.
"There are some concerns for erosion at Jimmys Beach with the direction of the swell having an impact," a MidCoast Council spokesman said.
"At this stage there hasn't been severe coastal erosion from this event. The wall has been exposed since the last weather event."
Trucks recently dumped approximately 20,000 cubic metres of sand on the beach to shore-up the erosion hotspot.
While most of the sand has been swept away, it helped prevent a repeat of the events of April 2021 and August 2024 when an estimated six metres of foreshore was stripped from the beach within 24 hours.
The cost of repairing and protecting coastal areas can vary widely, with sand nourishment potentially costing between $15 and $30 per cubic meter.
"Sand that was placed on the beach following the previous storm was shifted by the swells after less than a week," the council spokesman said.
"As a result, the erosion is back to the part of the stabilised gravel wall but not threatening its integrity or behind it at this stage.
"We will continue to monitor the conditions over this week."
Meanwhile, a two-kilometre pipeline designed to pump sand from a stockpile at Winda Woppa to 10 points along the beach sits idle.
South of the Hunter, powerful seas continued to pound beaches at Wamberal and North Entrance.
More than 50 beachfront homes in the area have been exposed to the effects of coastal erosion in recent years.
Central Coast Council has met with multiple government ministers and officials about the impact of coastal erosion on the region.
"The NSW government will continue to work with council and the federal government to consider options for longer-term solutions for coastal erosion," a state government spokesperson said.
In an extraordinary meeting on Tuesday, the council discussed using powers under Section 124 of the Local Government Act, which would allow residents facing an immediate threat to their property to do emergency coastal protection work without a development application.
An estimated $25 billion worth of NSW coastal property is at risk, according to the Insurance Council of Australia. It estimates about $30 billion would need to be invested to fully protect the coastline.
The region's fragile coastline has taken another battering as nervous property owners and councils brace for the fallout from this week's wild weather.
Strong and gusty winds and elevated east to southeasterly waves are expected to persist between the Hunter and Mid North coasts until the end of the week.
Erosion control measures at Stockton have withstood the worst of the wild weather, however, other parts of the coast have been severely damaged.
Midcoast Council crews were forced to launch yet another rescue operation at Jimmys Beach as waves gnawed away at the thin strip of sand protecting homes along the Boulevard.
"There are some concerns for erosion at Jimmys Beach with the direction of the swell having an impact," a MidCoast Council spokesman said.
"At this stage there hasn't been severe coastal erosion from this event. The wall has been exposed since the last weather event."
Trucks recently dumped approximately 20,000 cubic metres of sand on the beach to shore-up the erosion hotspot.
While most of the sand has been swept away, it helped prevent a repeat of the events of April 2021 and August 2024 when an estimated six metres of foreshore was stripped from the beach within 24 hours.
The cost of repairing and protecting coastal areas can vary widely, with sand nourishment potentially costing between $15 and $30 per cubic meter.
"Sand that was placed on the beach following the previous storm was shifted by the swells after less than a week," the council spokesman said.
"As a result, the erosion is back to the part of the stabilised gravel wall but not threatening its integrity or behind it at this stage.
"We will continue to monitor the conditions over this week."
Meanwhile, a two-kilometre pipeline designed to pump sand from a stockpile at Winda Woppa to 10 points along the beach sits idle.
South of the Hunter, powerful seas continued to pound beaches at Wamberal and North Entrance.
More than 50 beachfront homes in the area have been exposed to the effects of coastal erosion in recent years.
Central Coast Council has met with multiple government ministers and officials about the impact of coastal erosion on the region.
"The NSW government will continue to work with council and the federal government to consider options for longer-term solutions for coastal erosion," a state government spokesperson said.
In an extraordinary meeting on Tuesday, the council discussed using powers under Section 124 of the Local Government Act, which would allow residents facing an immediate threat to their property to do emergency coastal protection work without a development application.
An estimated $25 billion worth of NSW coastal property is at risk, according to the Insurance Council of Australia. It estimates about $30 billion would need to be invested to fully protect the coastline.
The region's fragile coastline has taken another battering as nervous property owners and councils brace for the fallout from this week's wild weather.
Strong and gusty winds and elevated east to southeasterly waves are expected to persist between the Hunter and Mid North coasts until the end of the week.
Erosion control measures at Stockton have withstood the worst of the wild weather, however, other parts of the coast have been severely damaged.
Midcoast Council crews were forced to launch yet another rescue operation at Jimmys Beach as waves gnawed away at the thin strip of sand protecting homes along the Boulevard.
"There are some concerns for erosion at Jimmys Beach with the direction of the swell having an impact," a MidCoast Council spokesman said.
"At this stage there hasn't been severe coastal erosion from this event. The wall has been exposed since the last weather event."
Trucks recently dumped approximately 20,000 cubic metres of sand on the beach to shore-up the erosion hotspot.
While most of the sand has been swept away, it helped prevent a repeat of the events of April 2021 and August 2024 when an estimated six metres of foreshore was stripped from the beach within 24 hours.
The cost of repairing and protecting coastal areas can vary widely, with sand nourishment potentially costing between $15 and $30 per cubic meter.
"Sand that was placed on the beach following the previous storm was shifted by the swells after less than a week," the council spokesman said.
"As a result, the erosion is back to the part of the stabilised gravel wall but not threatening its integrity or behind it at this stage.
"We will continue to monitor the conditions over this week."
Meanwhile, a two-kilometre pipeline designed to pump sand from a stockpile at Winda Woppa to 10 points along the beach sits idle.
South of the Hunter, powerful seas continued to pound beaches at Wamberal and North Entrance.
More than 50 beachfront homes in the area have been exposed to the effects of coastal erosion in recent years.
Central Coast Council has met with multiple government ministers and officials about the impact of coastal erosion on the region.
"The NSW government will continue to work with council and the federal government to consider options for longer-term solutions for coastal erosion," a state government spokesperson said.
In an extraordinary meeting on Tuesday, the council discussed using powers under Section 124 of the Local Government Act, which would allow residents facing an immediate threat to their property to do emergency coastal protection work without a development application.
An estimated $25 billion worth of NSW coastal property is at risk, according to the Insurance Council of Australia. It estimates about $30 billion would need to be invested to fully protect the coastline.
The region's fragile coastline has taken another battering as nervous property owners and councils brace for the fallout from this week's wild weather.
Strong and gusty winds and elevated east to southeasterly waves are expected to persist between the Hunter and Mid North coasts until the end of the week.
Erosion control measures at Stockton have withstood the worst of the wild weather, however, other parts of the coast have been severely damaged.
Midcoast Council crews were forced to launch yet another rescue operation at Jimmys Beach as waves gnawed away at the thin strip of sand protecting homes along the Boulevard.
"There are some concerns for erosion at Jimmys Beach with the direction of the swell having an impact," a MidCoast Council spokesman said.
"At this stage there hasn't been severe coastal erosion from this event. The wall has been exposed since the last weather event."
Trucks recently dumped approximately 20,000 cubic metres of sand on the beach to shore-up the erosion hotspot.
While most of the sand has been swept away, it helped prevent a repeat of the events of April 2021 and August 2024 when an estimated six metres of foreshore was stripped from the beach within 24 hours.
The cost of repairing and protecting coastal areas can vary widely, with sand nourishment potentially costing between $15 and $30 per cubic meter.
"Sand that was placed on the beach following the previous storm was shifted by the swells after less than a week," the council spokesman said.
"As a result, the erosion is back to the part of the stabilised gravel wall but not threatening its integrity or behind it at this stage.
"We will continue to monitor the conditions over this week."
Meanwhile, a two-kilometre pipeline designed to pump sand from a stockpile at Winda Woppa to 10 points along the beach sits idle.
South of the Hunter, powerful seas continued to pound beaches at Wamberal and North Entrance.
More than 50 beachfront homes in the area have been exposed to the effects of coastal erosion in recent years.
Central Coast Council has met with multiple government ministers and officials about the impact of coastal erosion on the region.
"The NSW government will continue to work with council and the federal government to consider options for longer-term solutions for coastal erosion," a state government spokesperson said.
In an extraordinary meeting on Tuesday, the council discussed using powers under Section 124 of the Local Government Act, which would allow residents facing an immediate threat to their property to do emergency coastal protection work without a development application.
An estimated $25 billion worth of NSW coastal property is at risk, according to the Insurance Council of Australia. It estimates about $30 billion would need to be invested to fully protect the coastline.
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As of Saturday afternoon, people on the Wingham side were heading to the town's tennis courts, which sits high on the banks overlooking the river, to see the damage for themselves. Surf Life Saving NSW members from Newcastle and Pacific Palms were also at the viewing spot with an IRB (inflatable rescue boat), doing surveillance on the bridge for MidCoast Council. The Manning River Times contacted MidCoast Council on Saturday morning regarding the Bight Bridge. However, as flood waters still cover what is left of the bridge and mud, silt and debris block the Tinonee end of the bridge, the council has not yet been able to assess the situation. What is clear is that the people of Tinonee will have no quick access to Wingham for at least a few years to come, and it will cost many millions of dollars to reconstruct the bridge. Construction of The Bight Bridge began in 1962 and completed in December 1962. It was officially opened on April 11, 1964. The bridge was engineered to withstand flooding. It was made of pre-stressed concrete, with collapsible handrails on the downriver side. These rails were lowered in times of flooding to allow debris to wash over the bridge, allowing it to withstand much stress on the structure. A pathway enabled pedestrian access on the side with the rails, from where local children were often seen fishing. Prior to the bridge's existence, a punt operated over the river at that site from 1906. As the Manning River slowly starts to subside revealing the damage down by the historic floods, residents of the Mid-Coast were shocked to learn that the vital link between the two towns has been destroyed. The Bight Bridge, which connects the towns of Wingham and Tinonee, is no stranger to floods. She has withstood many, many inundations since being built in 1963. But this flood, the biggest and most devastating in the Manning's recorded history, was too much for her. A large section of the deck of the bridge has collapsed and washed away. Half of her is missing. Residents first became aware of the damage when Wingham local, Brett Godwin, posted drone footage and photographs on the town's Facebook page. While the waters still covered what was left of the bridge on Saturday morning, May 24, 2025, it was plain to see that something was clearly not right. The bridge appears to have broken off at the Wingham entrance to the bridge. As of Saturday afternoon, people on the Wingham side were heading to the town's tennis courts, which sits high on the banks overlooking the river, to see the damage for themselves. Surf Life Saving NSW members from Newcastle and Pacific Palms were also at the viewing spot with an IRB (inflatable rescue boat), doing surveillance on the bridge for MidCoast Council. The Manning River Times contacted MidCoast Council on Saturday morning regarding the Bight Bridge. However, as flood waters still cover what is left of the bridge and mud, silt and debris block the Tinonee end of the bridge, the council has not yet been able to assess the situation. What is clear is that the people of Tinonee will have no quick access to Wingham for at least a few years to come, and it will cost many millions of dollars to reconstruct the bridge. Construction of The Bight Bridge began in 1962 and completed in December 1962. It was officially opened on April 11, 1964. The bridge was engineered to withstand flooding. It was made of pre-stressed concrete, with collapsible handrails on the downriver side. These rails were lowered in times of flooding to allow debris to wash over the bridge, allowing it to withstand much stress on the structure. A pathway enabled pedestrian access on the side with the rails, from where local children were often seen fishing. Prior to the bridge's existence, a punt operated over the river at that site from 1906.
