Media response - Christie Creek beach erosion

Published on 29 September 2020

Response to The Advertiser. 

I've had some photos sent through of some sand dune erosion apparently being caused by the flow of Christie Creek. I've been told the rocks were placed on the beach by council to try and divert the flow of water but have apparently made the issue worse.
The rocks aren’t the cause of the erosion (as discussed below). We believe these rocks may have been placed at this location in the late 90s. They’re generally buried under the sand most of the year, but they appear during erosion events like this.

Is the flow of Christie Creek causing issues for the sand dunes and at the beach?
Yes. The creek naturally looks to meander parallel to the shore (north or south) causing beach and dune erosion in the immediate area. This is caused by shoreline sand movement when the creek outlet is overwhelmed by a build-up of sand bars, inhibiting flows directly seaward. It generally occurs quickly without warning during rain events.

Is this a common/reoccurring issue with the creek or is it something that's only recently started?
It’s a common issue during winter. In 2018, the creek outlet meandered in a northerly direction for 100m, eroding the dunes close to the shared-use path. Council often intervenes at short notice with civil works to straighten the outlet channel and direct flows seaward. Over the warmer months the beach and dune sand should recover in time naturally before next winter.

Have the rocks fixed the issue? If not, is council looking at other means of solving the problem?
The rocks help capture sand so access to the beach is maintained. Our strategy at this stage is to use a soft-engineered approach such as excavating the creek outlet and sand replenishment programs, rather than construction of hard-engineered structures such as rock groynes or seawalls. The desired outcome is maintaining the natural beach, delaying any need to introduce hard protection structures.

ENDS