Is our self-glorifying ‘green’ Council really serious about environmental guardianship? They strongly support the land we occupy, the forests and the estuaries, and much entertainment and tourist development. But when it comes to the coast and our once pristine beaches they are nowhere to be seen or heard.
We are now into our third attempt at a coastal management plan (CMP) and all I can see is further development and gentrification of our foreshores – but nothing being done about sand loss and the increasing erosion of our beaches and dunes.
The sand levels at Main Beach are metres below historical levels, but don’t listen to Council’s reasons for this. It has very little to do with rising sea levels and more cyclonic weather and everything to do with Council’s refusal to rehabilitate, strengthen, and maintain a healthy dune frontage.
Meanwhile they continue to allow deadly seawalls to be constructed and encourage further development over our old dunes – e.g. the Belongil sand spit and Main Beach itself.
Without a healthy dune frontage sand loss will continue at a greater and greater rate. The Gold Coast has learnt its lesson, but Byron Council apparently has not – if they even give it a thought that is.
Hard surfaces (seawalls and rock barriers) reject and scour the sand from the beach. Dunes, if they are there and protected, absorb storm impacts and replenish the beach after.
Any mention of this in Council’s consultant’s latest paid attempt at a CMP? I don’t think so. Instead, we see more plans for foreshore hardening and development such as the Arts Advisory Committees, Council-endorsed plans for more children’s playgrounds constructed over the old foreshore dunes at Main Beach. And I’ve heard (hopefully unendorsed rumours?) of Council’s preference for constructing an aquatic centre beside Fishheads. Not to mention the developers’ latest fight – to increase the height levels of seafront buildings. Ouch!!
Care for our dunes and our beach? NOT! Silence instead.
With these developments going ahead you can kiss goodbye to the old expectations of a trip to the beach being about SAND, dunes, waves, and ice cream. Over time, as the sand levels decrease and the sea bashes against seawalls, we’ll be left with no beach at all, just a marina for wealthy residents’ motor boats and yachts and a wall to fish from. Vale Main Beach. Vale Byron’s Bay. Who wants to play and run on the sand anyway?
For four decades The Echo has printed the stories some people loved, some people hated, and some pretended not to read. If you want us to keep telling the truth, the real truth, not the sugar-coated version. We’ll need your support to keep the presses rolling. 
