Spotlight on Stockton Beach replenishment

Following a meeting of the Deputy Premier’s Stockton Beach Taskforce, City of Newcastle will meet with the Hunter and Central Coast Development Corporation, and Regional NSW to explore the possibility of using sand from the south arm of the Hunter River to replenish Stockton Beach.

Chair of the Stockton Community Liaison Group, Barbara Whitcher, spoke in support of the initiative earlier this week.  

“It’s encouraging to hear through the Taskforce the potential for relocating sand from the Hunter River to Stockton for short-term sand replenishment.”

“This news was received well at today’s Stockton Community Liaison Group Meeting and we look forward to further updates.”  

This progress is in keeping with the City’s work to access the initial sand for a beach nourishment campaign as approved in the Stockton Coastal Management Program 2020.  

The news from the Taskforce meeting also coincides with a decision from the City to use ‘Kyowa Rock Bags’ as emergency works in place of existing sandbagging at the northern end of Stockton Beach.  

City of Newcastle’s Acting CEO, Ken Liddell, said that, in the meantime, the rock bags will be a significant improvement on the sandbags currently in place. 

“The innovative rock bag technology to be used at Stockton Beach will provide a range of benefits, not the least to provide further protection for the community and offsetting ongoing reactive emergency, and capital works costs.

“Upgrading the emergency protection to rock bags will provide greater protection to coastal properties while allowing City of Newcastle to reinstate a passive recreational area at Barrie Crescent Reserve,” Mr Liddell said. 

Community engagement on the CMPs is expected to commence in early 2021.