BE CAREFUL what you wish for Inverloch! Yes, a rock wall at the surf beach can save the clubhouse and other structures from the erosion but it comes at a cost; the beach itself will be lost.
Measurements in the Cape-to-Cape Resilience project report show that longshore drift has been moving sand eastwards away from the surf beach at thousands of cubic metres per year for the last several years.
The construction of a rock wall would cut off any supply of sand for replenishment, leading to an inevitable lowering of the beach surface until it becomes a rock platform, or just deep water.
It doesn’t seem to make sense to use a rock wall to protect a surf lifesaving clubhouse when it will result in the loss of the actual surf beach!
That’s why DEECA has decided to commence beach renourishment in 2025. If enough sand can be brought back to the beach, we’ll all be able to continue to enjoy it into the future. Happy New Year.
Mike Cleeland, Surf Beach