WORLD CHAMPION Adaptive Surfing champion Mark “Mono” Stewart has expressed his concern over the implications of Byron Shire Council’s new Main Beach Shoreline Project.
“It has the potential to remove the Main Beach Carpark AND devastate the surf at the Wreck, Belongil, Main Beach, Stewies and Clarke’s by removing the main beach rocks and groynes.”
“Council are running a “drop-in information session” at the Byron Bay Surf Club on Wednesday 20 November between 4 and 6 pm.
“I urge anyone who wants to keep the integrity of our Byron Bay foreshores to attend and let Council know exactly what they think.”
Council’s Coastal and Biodiversity Coordinator, Chloe Dowsett claims, “We’re embarking on this project to assess feasible options for the modification of the coastal protection groynes and structures in place along Byron Bay’s Main Beach, which are degraded.”
“The groynes and coastal protection structure on Main Beach have a critical role to play in protecting the Byron Bay town centre from coastal erosion and underlying long-term movement of this shoreline towards the land – and they also impact on how the sand moves, what the beach looks like and how people move from the surrounding areas such as parks and car parks onto the beach,” she said.
Council has engaged Bluecoast Consulting Engineers to conduct the extensive two year study. The project is being funded by the NSW State Government through the Coastal and Estuary Grants Program with matching funds from Council.
It is expected to cost $300,000 including the stage 1 investigation and further phases of cost benefit analysis and detailed design.
Mono’s take on the exercise is that this could potentially be devastating for the surf in the Bay.
First up : Who is Bluecoast Consulting Engineers and what is their experience in beach erosion and sand movement ?.
Second up : Is what experience does Councils Biodiversity Coordinator Cloe Dowsett gained her experience in beach erosion and sand movement..?
With a State Govement that is willing to spend money Willy-Nilly with the Byron Shire Council willing to back them.