Today in Parliament, Abigail gave notice of a motion calling on the NSW Government to reject a fast-tracked Ministerial Authorisation for a seawall at Wamberal Beach, opposed by thousands of residents and condemned by experts for its serious risks to the coastline, neighbouring properties and ecosystems, and instead pursue sustainable, evidence-based coastal management with genuine community consultation.

Abigail said:

I give notice that on the next sitting day I will move:

(1)    That this House notes that:

• for many years, thousands of concerned Central Coast residents have loudly and consistently opposed the construction of a seawall at Wamberal Beach, on the basis of ample scientific evidence concluding that seawalls are not an appropriate solution for coastal protection and can have devastating long-term impacts in eroding the entire coastline and shifting the burden of coastal erosion onto surrounding houses;
• community group Wamberal Beach Save Our Sand (SOS) has mobilised a growing, targeted community campaign to oppose a seawall being constructed at Wamberal and to advocate for sustainable, evidence-based, adaptive strategies to sustain Wamberal Beach that genuinely serve the interests of local communities and the environment;
• on 23 September 2025, on a motion by independent Liberal Deputy Mayor Doug Eaton, Central Coast Council resolved to develop design options for medium to long-term coastal protection works at Wamberal Beach and to subsequently seek Ministerial Authorisation under Section 68 of the NSW Reconstruction Authority Act 2022, which provides that a Ministerial Authorisation may only be granted where it is necessary to protect the safety and welfare of members of the public following a disaster, or where exceptional circumstances require immediate action;
• there is no evidence to indicate that the situation at Wamberal Beach constitutes an immediate emergency requiring urgent disaster response works under Section 68 of the NSW Reconstruction Authority Act 2022;
• the development of these design options is being funded using public funds, including the Special Projects Reserve, and follows significant prior expenditure of public funds by Council on Wamberal Beach seawall Development Applications;
• the preliminary design for the latest seawall proposal includes a 1.4 km terminal coastal protective structure between three and seven metres above the beach across Terrigal Lagoon and Wamberal Lagoon entrances, with approximately 53,000 tonnes of sandstone rock armour, 28,000 tonnes of underlayer rock and 960 tonnes of steel sheet piling;
• Central Coast Council’s assessment of three Development Applications for a seawall at Wamberal Beach previously identified serious concerns including coastal hazard impacts, end-effects on neighbouring properties, beach erosion risks and a lack of a secured sand nourishment source; and
• expert coastal engineering advice provided to council has found that the proposed seawall structure poses serious risks including a heightened flood risk for adjacent lagoon properties and would prevent future adaptation and ecological resilience.

(2)    That this House calls on the NSW government to:

• reject any application for a Section 68 ministerial authorisation under the NSW Reconstruction Authority Act 2022 for coastal protection works at Wamberal Beach;
• require any proposal for coastal management at Wamberal Beach to proceed through the ordinary planning pathway under the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979 with meaningful community consultation and engagement; and
• work with council and the local community to facilitate more sustainable adaptive strategies to sustain Wamberal Beach that will not increase risks to beach amenity or lagoon properties and ecosystems and that will satisfy the objects of the Coastal Management Act 2016, including expert consideration of natural dune stabilisation and sand nourishment options.

2 June 2026