Patricia Hellier - 8 April 2025
Patricia Hellier presented to Council at the Public Access Session on 8 April 2025.
Good morning all, Councillors I would like to draw your attention to the devastation at Surfside especially the area of Myamba Parade.
For sometime now we have been watching the dunes erode and we knew, that it would only be a matter of time before a large swell would occur, it was not going to be IF – but WHEN.
Councillors please note in Councils “Your Rates 2024-25, Page 2, Point 2, under the heading Environmental Levy it states “Covers dune care” this has not occurred.
I am here today to ask Council to advocate to the State Government for a call for this area to be declared a Natural Disaster.
Thankfully the SES provided much needed sandbags during this most recent event, but this is only a temporary solution.
The deb re that has washed up at the door steps of these homes and what was a beach, could only be described as a further disaster waiting to happen. Should there be another large swell the branches, logs etc will become airborne missiles, which will catapult through these homes. The facts are if the swells are anything like what was experienced last week and if a houses are inundated there could be a domino affect onto the street, which could result in houses on the opposite side of the street to be affected and lives could be put in danger.
For those new Councillors I would like to draw your attention to the fact that this is not the first time the concerns about Surfside has been raised in this chamber and I would like to relate to you some background history.
After a number of years of community members advocating to their State Members on the 27th February 2019 MP’s Gabrielle Upton and Andrew Constance attended a large gathering of the community at Surfside the NSW Government pledged $5million dollars for a revetment wall to be built to give Surfside some much needed protection – this revetment wall has never been built.
In June 2023 there was a figure of $12,007,632 from the Australian Disaster Ready fund announced by MP’s Fiona Phillips and Michael Holland. At the time MP Fiona Phillips stated “I’m thrilled to see the Batemans Bay region, in particular Surfside receiving upgrades that will better prepare the community for future disasters”. I believe that there was a contribution of $5million dollars in this money from the NSW State Government – was this $5M the money that was allocated by the Liberal Government in 2019?
Councillor I call upon you to ask for a detailed break down of this $12,007,632.
There has been a figure in a Delivery Program that stated $3.5M for a Rockwall on Beach Road. Casey’s Beach has a Rockwall, and in a meeting with the previous General Manager, in the company of 2 Council staff, one of the staff stated that the money was not for the Rock Wall but to build up Beach Road Casey’s Beach therefore the question is, is this money for a Rockwall or to built up Beach Road Casey’s Beach?
There has been a Contact let for works to be conducted at Long Beach with an allocation $2.6M, Wharf Road $2.4M and $1.5M for Surfside and yet Surfside is the area that has been impacted by coastal erosion.
Whilst there might be a view by some that these home owners have not done their diligence the facts are many of these home owners have lived in their homes for over 40 years, others when they purchased their homes there were large dunes in front of their homes which offered protection, these dunes have now eroded.
Council has still approved DA’s for development in this area, many of you might be familiar with the “Glamour Camping” at the end of Myamba Parade.
Currently Council has out on exhibition the Master Plans for Batemans Bay, whilst I understand this could be a requirement for Council, I firmly believe how can the community have confidence in a Council to plan for the next 75 years, when we have a situation here and now, where the Council appear to be unable to protect a sector of their community despite the many years that community members have been advocating to Council for protection for their homes and their community.
Thank you
Patricia Hellier