The southern end of Stockton Beach will be replenished with sand from Newcastle Harbour inside a year as a result of a new $6.2million funding package.
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The federal government has committed $4.7million and the City of Newcastle $1.5million for the first stage of a long-term plan to restore the beach.
The immediate priority is to source 300,000 cubic metres of sand from the entrance to the harbour to provide short-term relief to the current shoreline recession.
While the sand to be deposited on the beach is only a fraction of the 2.4million cubic metres that is needed to fully restore the beach, it is hoped it will replenish the south end of the beach for about two years.
"This is the first practical outcome that we've seen, because it actually means sand grains will end up on the beach as opposed to doing more studies or promises about what might get done in the future," Stockton resident and University of Newcastle honorary Associate Professor Ron Boyd said.
"It's a fantastic development in terms of the federal government finally playing a role."
Stockton Community Group co-presidents Melanie Taggart and Alison Rigby agreed the funding was a welcome first step to a long term solution.
"It's a very small step forward and we are thankful for any amount of sand," Ms Taggart said.
"Hopefully it will get the ball rolling (on a long term solution). We are still very concerned it's just a band aid solution."
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The council's $1.5 million co-contribution is part of a $27.5 million commitment made in 2020, with $4.6 million already invested into the Coastal Management Program.
"The long-term solution is to secure the 2.4 million cubic metres of sand needed for an initial mass nourishment, and annual sand top ups in line with community wishes and the plan endorsed by the NSW Government in 2020," City of Newcastle executive manager planning and environment Michelle Bisson said
"The grant will fund these investigations and approvals - looking at sand sources from the north arm of the Hunter River, as well as three suitable bodies of sand in the Stockton Bight which were identified in the NSW Government's 2021 Stockton Offshore Sand Exploration Project. Securing multiple sand sources builds flexibility into the mass-nourishment strategy to ensure the longevity of sand supply to Stockton Beach, building necessary resilience and future-proofing the project," Ms Bisson said.
Newcastle Lord Mayor Nuatali Nelmes and Ms Claydon took aim at the state government for failing to do more to support the Stockton community's long-running campaign to save its beach.
"We understand the need for collective action here. You know, the only partner missing is the NSW Government. I hope that they take a look at this announcement and start the planning for the long term future and to secure ongoing sand deposits for Stockton Beach," Ms Claydon said.
In a statement, Deputy Premier Paul Toole said the state government's previous work to investigate solutions for both immediate and long-term sand sources had laid the foundations for the latest federal funding.
"The project put forward by the NSW Government provides a pathway to source and deliver 300,000 cubic metres of sand - the equivalent of about 120 Olympic-sized swimming pools - to prevent buffering against future storms, while further work to locate additional sand sources for longer term restoration is undertaken," Mr Toole said.
He said the state government had provided $1.5 million to the council for projects with short, medium and long-term benefits and funded an additional $1 million to complete a detailed study to assess the viability of a sand source offshore at Stockton Beach.
It also established the Stockton Beach Taskforce under the leadership of former National's leader John Barilaro.
Ms Claydon and Ms Nelmes also endorsed a community letter writing campaign that calls on the state government and the Port of Newcastle to contribute to the ongoing maintenance of Stockton Beach given the adverse impact of the Stockton breakwall on erosion.
"It was a NSW Liberal government that privatised the port and collected billions of dollars in fees and continues to get billions of dollars in royalties," Ms Claydon said.
"They have a responsibility, in my view, to return some of that common wealth back to this community. So let's hope we see some action on that."
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