The extension of the Collaroy-Narrabeen Seawall is now underway even as calls opposing the construction continue to grow.
A new wall is being built on a section of the Collaroy beach between Stuart and Ramsay Streets. Construction works began on in August 2022.
The new development will extend the seawall constructed in 2021 to cover the stretch along ten properties to the north from Stuart Street to Wetherill Street.
Council said that whilst rock revetment-style works were already approved for some parts of the beach, duplicating this in areas where private properties are located would mean that the wall would encroach up to 10 metres onto the public beach due to space constraints. Hence, a vertical seawall would provide a better outcome.
The Nature Conservation Council, on the other hand, has been campaigning against the further expansion of the concrete seawall at Collaroy-Narrabeen Beach. The Group argues that other less-damaging solutions such as beach nourishment and offshore artificial reefs are better options, as successfully proven in Gold Coast.
The cost of construction for the new wall will be divided amongst the property owners and the state and federal governments. The property owners will pay 80 per cent of the cost whilst the State Government and the Federal Government will split the remaining, with each providing 10 per cent of the funding.
The devastating effect that the 2016 storms brought to the properties along the Collaroy beachfront magnified the inherent risk the landowners have been faced with since the area was developed in the early 1900s.
