It is no secret that some of Australia’s most magnificently located beachfront caravan parks are facing an uncertain future … and it is not just the spectre of the developer’s dollars which poses a threat to their continued existence.
Every wild storm, every low pressure system, every pounding wave is a reminder of the relentless danger of coastal erosion. As the sea nibbles away at our coastline, caravan parks that have brought joy to generations of holidaymakers teeter on the proverbial edge.
The park at Kingscliff in northern New South Wales is probably the most famous example of a van park that has faced an imminent demise. Last year, the Federal Government committed almost $10 million to a project to build a permanent seawall there. In the face of the relentless threat, Tweed Shire Council wants to see three-quarters of the Kingscliff tourist park wiped out, bulldozing much of the beachside camping area and turning it into parkland.
Of course, this winter has seen some extraordinarily wild weather across the country that has seen many other van parks flooded and beaches battered.
In South Australia a geologist and coastal expert, Ian Dyson, told the Sunday Mail newspaper that Glenelg, Henley Beach and Semaphore would be all that remained of the metropolitan coast by 2026 due to erosion.
And the state’s Opposition environment spokeswoman Michelle Lensink said the threat to the beaches was real.
“It’s going to reach the point of no return in the next few years,” she said. “There’s going to be threats to all the infrastructure along the coastline — to people’s homes, the roads, surf lifesaving clubs, all of the cafes and the things people enjoy about the coast.”
In the past few weeks, huge sand carting and pumping operations have been undertaken at West Beach near the Adelaide Shores Caravan Park. More than 100,000 cubic metres of dumped beach sand is being used to replenish the eroded foreshore.
“The sand buffers put in place have meant that the damage suffered along Adelaide’s coastline during these storms was much less significant than the damage caused by historic storms of similar or lesser magnitude,” said the state’s Environment Minister, Ian Hunter.
* Have you noticed the effects of coastal erosion at places you have visited? Comment below.
I have the Kingscliff plans in my hands as I type – the existing park will be reduced from 176 sites to only 61 sites – BUT, those 61 sites comprise, 17 cabins, ONLY 23 van sites, 12 ensuite sites and 9 camp sites.
Hi All. West Beach in Adelaides West is in serious condition. The West Beach Surf Club ramp has been destroyed. I was told on site the rock wall outside the club has dropped probably due to scouring by the wave movement from these storms. There is no beach left.When you look along the coast you can see at least 20m of besch has gone. The future here looks grim. On the beach at the csravsn park you can see the end of the dunes and showing topsoil on the beach. Rock walls going out to sea or something to stop the sand movement or minimise it needs to be done.