Latest news with #MidCoastCouncil
Sky News AU
4 days ago
- General
- Sky News AU
Urban planner Sam Austin reveals hidden Aussie city at North Arm Cove
Like some Mayan mystery, a fully designed city lies hidden in the Australian bushland just two hours north of Sydney. Located in present-day North Arm Cove, just north of Newcastle in the Hunter Valley, the city includes a complex web of housing lots with plans for train and port terminals and administrative buildings. 'And even crazier, it almost became the country's capital,' urban planner Sam Austin revealed in a widely-watched social media post this week. 'From a satellite photo, you might assume it's just bushland. But hidden under the trees is a fully designed city.' The lost city, which was to be called Port Stephens City, was designed by legendary architect Walter Burley Griffin, the urban planner who designed Canberra. Mr Austin, speaking with NewsWire from Canada, said he spotted the outlines of Port Stephens City seven or eight years ago while 'playing around with Google Maps'. 'I was just playing around came across it and thought, 'wow, what is this?' he said. 'Why is there this weird subdivision patch hidden in the trees? I did some googling and discovered North Arm Cove and thought it was absolutely fascinating.' Canberra pulled investment away from Port Stephens City and it was never developed. The area, which sits within the Mid Coast Council area, is now a 'paper subdivision', meaning it has been legally divided into lots, but has never been physically developed with roads or power infrastructure. 'It's really fascinating. There are examples like this all over NSW,' Mr Austin told NewsWire. 'They are called paper subdivisions. A lot of big paper subdivisions were made 100, 150 years ago, by various surveyors, with the intention of creating new towns across the country.' Mr Griffin envisioned a 'garden city' for Port Stephens City, similar to Canberra's design, typified by expanding concentric rings of development all connected via train. 'You can see that really clearly in the Port Stephens city design,' Mr Austin said. 'It has a very central rail terminal and then you can see a concentric circle design that extends out of it.' North Arm Cove has remained dormant for decades, but there is gathering interest in developing the area in light of the country's sharpening housing crisis. But any development will likely be complex and expensive. There is no road, power or drainage infrastructure in North Arm Cove and the council has stated repeatedly it would be 'prohibitively expensive' to build there. It is not zoned for residential development, but a potential change in zoning to 'environmental living' could crack open the door to more housing. There are about 4000 lots in North Arm Cove, with about 1000 of them owned by the council. Mr Austin also expressed some caution about new development in what he called 'pristine bushland'. 'I much prefer to see urban consolidation, or development around existing settlements, particularly given there is very strong ecological value in that area,' he said. 'I do have some reservations on broad scale development in essentially pristine bushland, which is what it is.' Originally published as Urban planning guru Sam Austin reveals hidden Aussie bushland city near Sydney
The Advertiser
6 days ago
- Business
- The Advertiser
The most luxurious development between Sydney and Brisbane coming to Hawks Nest
A development application for a $100million Hawks Nest Beachside residential oasis is due to be lodged before the end of the year. The 1.6-hectare project, adjacent to the Hawks Nest Golf Club, has been described as the most luxurious development of its kind between Sydney and Brisbane. The proposal includes three residential flat buildings made up of 104 dwellings. Prices range from $500,000 for a studio apartment to $5million for a penthouse suite. There will also be two swimming pools, two gyms and a 210-metre underground car park. It is expected to rival existing luxury developments in Port Stephens, Coffs Harbour and Byron Bay. Strong interest has already been shown from cashed-up prospective investors from as far away as Brisbane and Melbourne. Golfing legend Greg Norman, who was previously involved in the project through his design and construction development arm, described the project as a "unique opportunity to capture what the residential market needs today as living outside the city expands." The Karuah Aboriginal Land Council sold the land to Core Property Developments Pty Ltd and Leric Group Pty Ltd in 2018. MidCoast Council voted in April 2021 to change the zoning from RE1 Public Recreation to R3 Medium Density Residential, increasing the maximum permissible building height from 8.5m to 12m. The project was one of 18 housing proposals Planning Minister Paul Scully declared as state significant, following recommendations from the Housing Delivery Authority in March. Tourism contributes $52 million to the Hawks Nest and Tea Gardens economies each year. Myall Coast Chamber of Commerce and Tourism committee member Rick Wraight said the development was expected to inject an additional 10 million into the local economy and create about 50 permanent jobs. "It will provide a much-needed economic boost to the local area," he said. Hawks Nest Golf Club will host the Hawks Nest Beachside Pro-Am from 5-6 September. The two-day, 36-hole event will attract professional golfers from across Australia to compete for a share in the $50,000 prize purse, alongside over 280 amateur players. Indirectly, Hawks Nest Beachside development will also provide a boost to other local projects, such as continuing dredging maintenance of the Myall River. The river, which is an economic lifeline to the area, has been struggling due to its inability to flush into Port Stephens. A dredging project, funded by the state government through Transport for NSW and delivered by MidCoast Council, is presently removing several thousand tonnes of sand from the river. A development application for a $100million Hawks Nest Beachside residential oasis is due to be lodged before the end of the year. The 1.6-hectare project, adjacent to the Hawks Nest Golf Club, has been described as the most luxurious development of its kind between Sydney and Brisbane. The proposal includes three residential flat buildings made up of 104 dwellings. Prices range from $500,000 for a studio apartment to $5million for a penthouse suite. There will also be two swimming pools, two gyms and a 210-metre underground car park. It is expected to rival existing luxury developments in Port Stephens, Coffs Harbour and Byron Bay. Strong interest has already been shown from cashed-up prospective investors from as far away as Brisbane and Melbourne. Golfing legend Greg Norman, who was previously involved in the project through his design and construction development arm, described the project as a "unique opportunity to capture what the residential market needs today as living outside the city expands." The Karuah Aboriginal Land Council sold the land to Core Property Developments Pty Ltd and Leric Group Pty Ltd in 2018. MidCoast Council voted in April 2021 to change the zoning from RE1 Public Recreation to R3 Medium Density Residential, increasing the maximum permissible building height from 8.5m to 12m. The project was one of 18 housing proposals Planning Minister Paul Scully declared as state significant, following recommendations from the Housing Delivery Authority in March. Tourism contributes $52 million to the Hawks Nest and Tea Gardens economies each year. Myall Coast Chamber of Commerce and Tourism committee member Rick Wraight said the development was expected to inject an additional 10 million into the local economy and create about 50 permanent jobs. "It will provide a much-needed economic boost to the local area," he said. Hawks Nest Golf Club will host the Hawks Nest Beachside Pro-Am from 5-6 September. The two-day, 36-hole event will attract professional golfers from across Australia to compete for a share in the $50,000 prize purse, alongside over 280 amateur players. Indirectly, Hawks Nest Beachside development will also provide a boost to other local projects, such as continuing dredging maintenance of the Myall River. The river, which is an economic lifeline to the area, has been struggling due to its inability to flush into Port Stephens. A dredging project, funded by the state government through Transport for NSW and delivered by MidCoast Council, is presently removing several thousand tonnes of sand from the river. A development application for a $100million Hawks Nest Beachside residential oasis is due to be lodged before the end of the year. The 1.6-hectare project, adjacent to the Hawks Nest Golf Club, has been described as the most luxurious development of its kind between Sydney and Brisbane. The proposal includes three residential flat buildings made up of 104 dwellings. Prices range from $500,000 for a studio apartment to $5million for a penthouse suite. There will also be two swimming pools, two gyms and a 210-metre underground car park. It is expected to rival existing luxury developments in Port Stephens, Coffs Harbour and Byron Bay. Strong interest has already been shown from cashed-up prospective investors from as far away as Brisbane and Melbourne. Golfing legend Greg Norman, who was previously involved in the project through his design and construction development arm, described the project as a "unique opportunity to capture what the residential market needs today as living outside the city expands." The Karuah Aboriginal Land Council sold the land to Core Property Developments Pty Ltd and Leric Group Pty Ltd in 2018. MidCoast Council voted in April 2021 to change the zoning from RE1 Public Recreation to R3 Medium Density Residential, increasing the maximum permissible building height from 8.5m to 12m. The project was one of 18 housing proposals Planning Minister Paul Scully declared as state significant, following recommendations from the Housing Delivery Authority in March. Tourism contributes $52 million to the Hawks Nest and Tea Gardens economies each year. Myall Coast Chamber of Commerce and Tourism committee member Rick Wraight said the development was expected to inject an additional 10 million into the local economy and create about 50 permanent jobs. "It will provide a much-needed economic boost to the local area," he said. Hawks Nest Golf Club will host the Hawks Nest Beachside Pro-Am from 5-6 September. The two-day, 36-hole event will attract professional golfers from across Australia to compete for a share in the $50,000 prize purse, alongside over 280 amateur players. Indirectly, Hawks Nest Beachside development will also provide a boost to other local projects, such as continuing dredging maintenance of the Myall River. The river, which is an economic lifeline to the area, has been struggling due to its inability to flush into Port Stephens. A dredging project, funded by the state government through Transport for NSW and delivered by MidCoast Council, is presently removing several thousand tonnes of sand from the river. A development application for a $100million Hawks Nest Beachside residential oasis is due to be lodged before the end of the year. The 1.6-hectare project, adjacent to the Hawks Nest Golf Club, has been described as the most luxurious development of its kind between Sydney and Brisbane. The proposal includes three residential flat buildings made up of 104 dwellings. Prices range from $500,000 for a studio apartment to $5million for a penthouse suite. There will also be two swimming pools, two gyms and a 210-metre underground car park. It is expected to rival existing luxury developments in Port Stephens, Coffs Harbour and Byron Bay. Strong interest has already been shown from cashed-up prospective investors from as far away as Brisbane and Melbourne. Golfing legend Greg Norman, who was previously involved in the project through his design and construction development arm, described the project as a "unique opportunity to capture what the residential market needs today as living outside the city expands." The Karuah Aboriginal Land Council sold the land to Core Property Developments Pty Ltd and Leric Group Pty Ltd in 2018. MidCoast Council voted in April 2021 to change the zoning from RE1 Public Recreation to R3 Medium Density Residential, increasing the maximum permissible building height from 8.5m to 12m. The project was one of 18 housing proposals Planning Minister Paul Scully declared as state significant, following recommendations from the Housing Delivery Authority in March. Tourism contributes $52 million to the Hawks Nest and Tea Gardens economies each year. Myall Coast Chamber of Commerce and Tourism committee member Rick Wraight said the development was expected to inject an additional 10 million into the local economy and create about 50 permanent jobs. "It will provide a much-needed economic boost to the local area," he said. Hawks Nest Golf Club will host the Hawks Nest Beachside Pro-Am from 5-6 September. The two-day, 36-hole event will attract professional golfers from across Australia to compete for a share in the $50,000 prize purse, alongside over 280 amateur players. Indirectly, Hawks Nest Beachside development will also provide a boost to other local projects, such as continuing dredging maintenance of the Myall River. The river, which is an economic lifeline to the area, has been struggling due to its inability to flush into Port Stephens. A dredging project, funded by the state government through Transport for NSW and delivered by MidCoast Council, is presently removing several thousand tonnes of sand from the river.
The Advertiser
06-08-2025
- Climate
- The Advertiser
Houses and infrastructure lost as coastal erosion eats away at our shores
When we think of natural disasters in Australia, we generally think of bushfires and floods and the resulting loss of human life and property, the loss of wildlife. But, while not a critical immediate threat, there's a byproduct of sea level rises and severe ocean storms that are, in some cases, slowly emerging as a threat to homes and infrastructure - coastal erosion and shoreline recession. In January 2024, The Groundsure Australia ClimateIndex Coastal Erosion White Paper was released, listing the top 20 suburbs at risk from coastal erosion in the 30-year rank. Of those, four were in the MidCoast Council area and one in Port Macquarie Hastings council area - Jimmy's Beach at Port Stephens at number two, Lake Cathie near Port Macquarie six, Pindimar seven, North Arm Cove nine, and Old Bar 11. More frequent severe weather events are occurring on the NSW coast, resulting in ever-increasing erosion events. An erosion event at Jimmy's Beach in August 2024 caused parts of a beachfront road running parallel to the beach to collapse. In 2021, an estimated six metres of shoreline was washed away at Jimmys Beach and houses close to being undermined in one event. A $4.1 million sand transfer system seen by many as the solution to the area's chronic erosion problems is lying idle because MidCoast Council does not yet have an operator, the Newcastle Herald reported in 2023. The two kilometre pipeline was put in place to that sand could be pumped from a stockpile on the Winda Woppa peninsula to Jimmys Beach. The system has only been used twice, the last time in 2021. The council now trucks sand in for replenishment. Meanwhile, the community fight to have something done about erosion at Old Bar, south of Taree, has been decades long. In 2008 and 2014, three houses at the southern end were threatened and demolished. Erosion and shoreline recession are threatening the Meridian Resort at Old Bar, and moving closer to Old Bar Public School. In a report titled "Old Bar Design Investigation" prepared for the then Greater Taree City Council (now MidCoast Council) dated December 2013, different options for tackling erosion and shoreline recession were explored, with the council's Draft Coastal Zone Management Plan recommending planned retreat as the preferred option. Dune fencing and sand traps have been in place over the years as measures to try to mitigate erosion at Old Bar. Sand scraping, using sand taken from the intertidal zone - between high and low tides - and placed against the dune line, usually takes place after storms, floods or high seas have occurred. Now, in 2025, it is still a "wait and watch" situation with MidCoast Council's current draft Old Bar Manning Point Coastal Management Plan (CMP), yet again exploring options, still in the works. The CMP is expected to go on public exhibition for comment later this year. Following that, feedback will be considered and the program finalised for consideration by councillors before being submitted to the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water. Erosion of our river banks is not a new issue - floods through the years erode the banks. However, events such as the May 2025 flood on the Manning River, the worst in the river's recorded history, cause extreme erosion. When the Manning River flood waters receded, massive chunks of the river banks were revealed to have been gouged out and washed away, similarly with the Hunter River near Maitland. After witnessing the incredible damage done to the river banks, particularly the Manning, after the May floods, Hunter and Mid-North Coast Recovery Co-ordinator, Dave Owens set to creating a "Whole of River, Whole of Government" project for the Manning River. The project, which brings together all stakeholders with an interest in the riverbanks - landholders, government agencies, councils - will be a pilot project, with the aim of extending it to the Hunter River and beyond. "We need to get a strategy in place that looks at the longer-term growth of the river," Mr Owens said. While erosion of river banks is a natural process, Mr Owen said this event was "out of scale". "Where it should have gone around a river bend, it cuts straight through. Farmers have lost 30 acres, 100 acres of their property because of the river [bank erosion], we've got to do something about that." The project will look at mitigation, revegetating the riparian zones to stabilise river banks, educating farmers to not allow livestock access to the river, and emergency repairs to stabilise some locations immediately. "it's a massive job, but, but if we chip away at it we can get it done," Mr Owens said. Previous Disaster Deadline: Who Will Save Us? articles. When we think of natural disasters in Australia, we generally think of bushfires and floods and the resulting loss of human life and property, the loss of wildlife. But, while not a critical immediate threat, there's a byproduct of sea level rises and severe ocean storms that are, in some cases, slowly emerging as a threat to homes and infrastructure - coastal erosion and shoreline recession. In January 2024, The Groundsure Australia ClimateIndex Coastal Erosion White Paper was released, listing the top 20 suburbs at risk from coastal erosion in the 30-year rank. Of those, four were in the MidCoast Council area and one in Port Macquarie Hastings council area - Jimmy's Beach at Port Stephens at number two, Lake Cathie near Port Macquarie six, Pindimar seven, North Arm Cove nine, and Old Bar 11. More frequent severe weather events are occurring on the NSW coast, resulting in ever-increasing erosion events. An erosion event at Jimmy's Beach in August 2024 caused parts of a beachfront road running parallel to the beach to collapse. In 2021, an estimated six metres of shoreline was washed away at Jimmys Beach and houses close to being undermined in one event. A $4.1 million sand transfer system seen by many as the solution to the area's chronic erosion problems is lying idle because MidCoast Council does not yet have an operator, the Newcastle Herald reported in 2023. The two kilometre pipeline was put in place to that sand could be pumped from a stockpile on the Winda Woppa peninsula to Jimmys Beach. The system has only been used twice, the last time in 2021. The council now trucks sand in for replenishment. Meanwhile, the community fight to have something done about erosion at Old Bar, south of Taree, has been decades long. In 2008 and 2014, three houses at the southern end were threatened and demolished. Erosion and shoreline recession are threatening the Meridian Resort at Old Bar, and moving closer to Old Bar Public School. In a report titled "Old Bar Design Investigation" prepared for the then Greater Taree City Council (now MidCoast Council) dated December 2013, different options for tackling erosion and shoreline recession were explored, with the council's Draft Coastal Zone Management Plan recommending planned retreat as the preferred option. Dune fencing and sand traps have been in place over the years as measures to try to mitigate erosion at Old Bar. Sand scraping, using sand taken from the intertidal zone - between high and low tides - and placed against the dune line, usually takes place after storms, floods or high seas have occurred. Now, in 2025, it is still a "wait and watch" situation with MidCoast Council's current draft Old Bar Manning Point Coastal Management Plan (CMP), yet again exploring options, still in the works. The CMP is expected to go on public exhibition for comment later this year. Following that, feedback will be considered and the program finalised for consideration by councillors before being submitted to the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water. Erosion of our river banks is not a new issue - floods through the years erode the banks. However, events such as the May 2025 flood on the Manning River, the worst in the river's recorded history, cause extreme erosion. When the Manning River flood waters receded, massive chunks of the river banks were revealed to have been gouged out and washed away, similarly with the Hunter River near Maitland. After witnessing the incredible damage done to the river banks, particularly the Manning, after the May floods, Hunter and Mid-North Coast Recovery Co-ordinator, Dave Owens set to creating a "Whole of River, Whole of Government" project for the Manning River. The project, which brings together all stakeholders with an interest in the riverbanks - landholders, government agencies, councils - will be a pilot project, with the aim of extending it to the Hunter River and beyond. "We need to get a strategy in place that looks at the longer-term growth of the river," Mr Owens said. While erosion of river banks is a natural process, Mr Owen said this event was "out of scale". "Where it should have gone around a river bend, it cuts straight through. Farmers have lost 30 acres, 100 acres of their property because of the river [bank erosion], we've got to do something about that." The project will look at mitigation, revegetating the riparian zones to stabilise river banks, educating farmers to not allow livestock access to the river, and emergency repairs to stabilise some locations immediately. "it's a massive job, but, but if we chip away at it we can get it done," Mr Owens said. Previous Disaster Deadline: Who Will Save Us? articles. When we think of natural disasters in Australia, we generally think of bushfires and floods and the resulting loss of human life and property, the loss of wildlife. But, while not a critical immediate threat, there's a byproduct of sea level rises and severe ocean storms that are, in some cases, slowly emerging as a threat to homes and infrastructure - coastal erosion and shoreline recession. In January 2024, The Groundsure Australia ClimateIndex Coastal Erosion White Paper was released, listing the top 20 suburbs at risk from coastal erosion in the 30-year rank. Of those, four were in the MidCoast Council area and one in Port Macquarie Hastings council area - Jimmy's Beach at Port Stephens at number two, Lake Cathie near Port Macquarie six, Pindimar seven, North Arm Cove nine, and Old Bar 11. More frequent severe weather events are occurring on the NSW coast, resulting in ever-increasing erosion events. An erosion event at Jimmy's Beach in August 2024 caused parts of a beachfront road running parallel to the beach to collapse. In 2021, an estimated six metres of shoreline was washed away at Jimmys Beach and houses close to being undermined in one event. A $4.1 million sand transfer system seen by many as the solution to the area's chronic erosion problems is lying idle because MidCoast Council does not yet have an operator, the Newcastle Herald reported in 2023. The two kilometre pipeline was put in place to that sand could be pumped from a stockpile on the Winda Woppa peninsula to Jimmys Beach. The system has only been used twice, the last time in 2021. The council now trucks sand in for replenishment. Meanwhile, the community fight to have something done about erosion at Old Bar, south of Taree, has been decades long. In 2008 and 2014, three houses at the southern end were threatened and demolished. Erosion and shoreline recession are threatening the Meridian Resort at Old Bar, and moving closer to Old Bar Public School. In a report titled "Old Bar Design Investigation" prepared for the then Greater Taree City Council (now MidCoast Council) dated December 2013, different options for tackling erosion and shoreline recession were explored, with the council's Draft Coastal Zone Management Plan recommending planned retreat as the preferred option. Dune fencing and sand traps have been in place over the years as measures to try to mitigate erosion at Old Bar. Sand scraping, using sand taken from the intertidal zone - between high and low tides - and placed against the dune line, usually takes place after storms, floods or high seas have occurred. Now, in 2025, it is still a "wait and watch" situation with MidCoast Council's current draft Old Bar Manning Point Coastal Management Plan (CMP), yet again exploring options, still in the works. The CMP is expected to go on public exhibition for comment later this year. Following that, feedback will be considered and the program finalised for consideration by councillors before being submitted to the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water. Erosion of our river banks is not a new issue - floods through the years erode the banks. However, events such as the May 2025 flood on the Manning River, the worst in the river's recorded history, cause extreme erosion. When the Manning River flood waters receded, massive chunks of the river banks were revealed to have been gouged out and washed away, similarly with the Hunter River near Maitland. After witnessing the incredible damage done to the river banks, particularly the Manning, after the May floods, Hunter and Mid-North Coast Recovery Co-ordinator, Dave Owens set to creating a "Whole of River, Whole of Government" project for the Manning River. The project, which brings together all stakeholders with an interest in the riverbanks - landholders, government agencies, councils - will be a pilot project, with the aim of extending it to the Hunter River and beyond. "We need to get a strategy in place that looks at the longer-term growth of the river," Mr Owens said. While erosion of river banks is a natural process, Mr Owen said this event was "out of scale". "Where it should have gone around a river bend, it cuts straight through. Farmers have lost 30 acres, 100 acres of their property because of the river [bank erosion], we've got to do something about that." The project will look at mitigation, revegetating the riparian zones to stabilise river banks, educating farmers to not allow livestock access to the river, and emergency repairs to stabilise some locations immediately. "it's a massive job, but, but if we chip away at it we can get it done," Mr Owens said. Previous Disaster Deadline: Who Will Save Us? articles. When we think of natural disasters in Australia, we generally think of bushfires and floods and the resulting loss of human life and property, the loss of wildlife. But, while not a critical immediate threat, there's a byproduct of sea level rises and severe ocean storms that are, in some cases, slowly emerging as a threat to homes and infrastructure - coastal erosion and shoreline recession. In January 2024, The Groundsure Australia ClimateIndex Coastal Erosion White Paper was released, listing the top 20 suburbs at risk from coastal erosion in the 30-year rank. Of those, four were in the MidCoast Council area and one in Port Macquarie Hastings council area - Jimmy's Beach at Port Stephens at number two, Lake Cathie near Port Macquarie six, Pindimar seven, North Arm Cove nine, and Old Bar 11. More frequent severe weather events are occurring on the NSW coast, resulting in ever-increasing erosion events. An erosion event at Jimmy's Beach in August 2024 caused parts of a beachfront road running parallel to the beach to collapse. In 2021, an estimated six metres of shoreline was washed away at Jimmys Beach and houses close to being undermined in one event. A $4.1 million sand transfer system seen by many as the solution to the area's chronic erosion problems is lying idle because MidCoast Council does not yet have an operator, the Newcastle Herald reported in 2023. The two kilometre pipeline was put in place to that sand could be pumped from a stockpile on the Winda Woppa peninsula to Jimmys Beach. The system has only been used twice, the last time in 2021. The council now trucks sand in for replenishment. Meanwhile, the community fight to have something done about erosion at Old Bar, south of Taree, has been decades long. In 2008 and 2014, three houses at the southern end were threatened and demolished. Erosion and shoreline recession are threatening the Meridian Resort at Old Bar, and moving closer to Old Bar Public School. In a report titled "Old Bar Design Investigation" prepared for the then Greater Taree City Council (now MidCoast Council) dated December 2013, different options for tackling erosion and shoreline recession were explored, with the council's Draft Coastal Zone Management Plan recommending planned retreat as the preferred option. Dune fencing and sand traps have been in place over the years as measures to try to mitigate erosion at Old Bar. Sand scraping, using sand taken from the intertidal zone - between high and low tides - and placed against the dune line, usually takes place after storms, floods or high seas have occurred. Now, in 2025, it is still a "wait and watch" situation with MidCoast Council's current draft Old Bar Manning Point Coastal Management Plan (CMP), yet again exploring options, still in the works. The CMP is expected to go on public exhibition for comment later this year. Following that, feedback will be considered and the program finalised for consideration by councillors before being submitted to the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water. Erosion of our river banks is not a new issue - floods through the years erode the banks. However, events such as the May 2025 flood on the Manning River, the worst in the river's recorded history, cause extreme erosion. When the Manning River flood waters receded, massive chunks of the river banks were revealed to have been gouged out and washed away, similarly with the Hunter River near Maitland. After witnessing the incredible damage done to the river banks, particularly the Manning, after the May floods, Hunter and Mid-North Coast Recovery Co-ordinator, Dave Owens set to creating a "Whole of River, Whole of Government" project for the Manning River. The project, which brings together all stakeholders with an interest in the riverbanks - landholders, government agencies, councils - will be a pilot project, with the aim of extending it to the Hunter River and beyond. "We need to get a strategy in place that looks at the longer-term growth of the river," Mr Owens said. While erosion of river banks is a natural process, Mr Owen said this event was "out of scale". "Where it should have gone around a river bend, it cuts straight through. Farmers have lost 30 acres, 100 acres of their property because of the river [bank erosion], we've got to do something about that." The project will look at mitigation, revegetating the riparian zones to stabilise river banks, educating farmers to not allow livestock access to the river, and emergency repairs to stabilise some locations immediately. "it's a massive job, but, but if we chip away at it we can get it done," Mr Owens said. Previous Disaster Deadline: Who Will Save Us? articles.
ABC News
23-06-2025
- Business
- ABC News
Thousands rally in Taree to call for $75,000 government grants for flood recovery
Thousands of residents affected by record-breaking floods at Taree on the NSW Mid North Coast have rallied, calling for more financial support. Organisers of the rally say about 3,000 local farmers, business owners and affected families gathered outside the Manning River Rowing Club, on the banks of the Manning River, on Monday. At the height of the flooding in late May, the Manning River at Taree exceeded the 1929 flood level of 6 metres. In the wake of the floods, the MidCoast Council estimates there has been $100 million in damage to the region's public spaces and parks alone, with more than 600 homes and 100 businesses damaged. Currently, grants of up to $25,000 are available for small businesses, primary producers and not-for-profits to help them recover. Residents are calling for Category D funding to be made available, which would provide grants of up to $75,000 jointly funded by the state and federal governments. So far the state government hasn't applied for this additional funding. A petition to the NSW parliament was circulated at the rally, calling for the additional funding. Rally organiser Rob Chapman's home was inundated during the floods. Mr Chapman said Monday's rally was about bringing the entire community together to push for greater support. "We've been affected in different ways, shapes and forms right along the river," he said. "We just need to show a force through our local politicians and federal politicians to the halls of Canberra and halls of NSW parliament that we aren't going to be forgotten up here. "Category D funding isn't a silver bullet, none of us think that. "But it will just [go] … a long way to help businesses get back on their feet, to help farmers help buy their feed and starting their process off again." Taree dairy farmer Douglas Schlenert said more financial support was urgently needed. "We are on a dairy farm over on the river here and we have lost 90 per cent of our cattle down to the ocean," he said. Taree local Robyne Keogh wasn't affected by the flood but attended the rally to show her support for the local farmers. "We had a flood in 2021, and we got Category D funding really quickly," she said. On Monday, Mid Coast Mayor Claire Pontin met federal Emergency Management Minister Kristy McBain to present new flood-damage figures and push for the Category D disaster funding. "The argument is if a one-in-500 year flood doesn't result in a Category D declaration then what does, because we've experienced a huge amount of damage," Councillor Pontin said. "So many people's lives have been disrupted."
ABC News
14-06-2025
- Climate
- ABC News
Wingham still relying on temporary water solution after Mid North Coast floods
In the wake of record-breaking floods on the New South Wales Mid North Coast, a community is still relying on a vulnerable temporary water supply after a major pipeline was destroyed at the height of the disaster. The force of the floodwater in late May tore through the pipeline that supplies water to Wingham, connecting its reservoirs with the region's Bootawa water supply dam near Taree. MidCoast Council director of infrastructure and engineering services Rob Scott said the pipe broke where it crossed the deepest part of the Manning River. "Some of that riverbank lost 20 metres or more of earth. That left one of our water mains almost completely unsupported on that southern side," he said. Mr Scott said the council had created a temporary solution, using an alternative pipeline to pump water from a reservoir near Taree to Wingham's reservoir. He said a permanent fix was urgently needed because there was no other backup system. He said if the backup pipeline broke the water supply to residents in Wingham, Taree and towns to the north, including Harrington and Coopernook, would be "significantly impacted" due to their connected system of reservoirs. "We don't know how long it would take to repair … and from then on, whatever is left in the reservoirs is all that we would have," Mr Scott said. "Within a day the high areas would start to have low water pressure … by the end of the second and third days some people would be without water, and that would progressively spread as the reservoirs depleted. "For example … Wingham's reservoir has about 10 megalitres at any point in time, and the daily use is 2 megalitres." Mr Scott said it took days for council crews to secure the temporary solution and in the meantime, emergency measures were taken to support residents. "During that time we used water carting and water bottles being delivered … water was also carted to Wingham Hospital," he said. Wingham resident Colleen Williams said her water was cut off for four days. "There were access points where we could drive into town … and collect bottled water," she said. "There were a few times where we did have to go to the Tigers [Rugby League Club] and boil the water for basin baths." The MidCoast Council has resolved to spend $4.1 million to urgently replace the damaged section of pipeline. Councillors supported a recommendation to fast-track the project, with the goal of completing it in six months. Mr Scott said the new infrastructure would be more secure during floods. "The existing pipeline was built in the 1960s and trenched into the bottom of the Manning River," he said. "New technology means we can literally drill a hole through the rock below the riverbed … by doing that we can avoid the risk of the pipeline being damaged by flood debris or impacted by riverbank erosion. Engineers Australia College of Environmental Engineering chair Kala Senathirajah said there was a considerable amount of aging water infrastructure across the country. "A lot the assets have been put in post World War II and are now quite old," she said. "It's getting to a stage where there needs to be a lot of assets renewed or replaced at the same time and due to funding and resource constraints, we will need to stagger that. "When we have floods or other natural disasters, they [the aging water infrastructure] are more vulnerable … to the situation that has happened at Wingham." Mr Scott said other councils with aging water infrastructure should be aware of the possible issues. "There's been several similar cases to ours over the years, where [pipe] river crossings have been lost during flood events, and then the council or water authority is faced with the expensive prospect of having to rush a project through to replace it," he said. "The problem is it's also high cost, so it's whether you can really balance risk with costs."
