To the Editor,
As a resident and homeowner in Surfside, I am sending you a copy of a letter I have sent to council and Councillors today via email, regarding The CMP, CVA and Hazard codes. I am assuming you are aware of these proposals. The residents only received the Notice on Friday 28th October with 8 business days to submit our concerns and objections. We had a residents meeting which was organised by Rosemary Deadman on Saturday, 29th October. This was attended by 13 residents as opposed to 120 residents a couple of years ago .This was obviously due to the late notice from council as some homeowners do not reside in Surfside.
I would like you to read and consider our concerns as news worthy to keep the Residents of Batemans Bay informed.
Below is the Copy of my letter to the Mayor and Councillors along with the Council Bureaucrats.
Dear Councillors
I am a resident of Surfside. It was brought to my attention on Friday, 28th October via letter that The Draft CMP, CVA and Coastal Hazards Codes will be on display till 9th November.
This means we have only 8 business days to respond and submit our objections as affected residents. As many of our homeowners do not reside in Surfside, this is an unreasonably short amount of time to respond. I am requesting an extension of time for residents and homeowners to respond in an informed manner.
I have been a resident of Surfside since 2007and the only vulnerability to our area has been caused by rock wall on the southern side of the bay and building of the new bridge. These have obviously caused a change to the flow of water which in turn has affected the Surfside beach and the beach at the corner of Timbara Crescent and Wharf Road. As the creek behind Timbara Crescent flows into the bay after heavy rains, how is this a risk to surrounding properties?
Therefore, I do not accept that the results of the engineering consultants reports are correct and transparent. It is my understanding that many different Engineering Consultants have been engaged and paid by council. Is this perhaps because Council wanted Reports that suited Council’s questionable aims and motives.
I would like to see “Coincident Inundation” maps prior to those produced by Council. It has also been brought to my attention that that these hypothetical sea level rises have not been based on the official NSW gauge at Fort Denison but on the gauge on the T wharf southside of the bridge at Clyde Road. That being the case as the CBD is closer to Sea Level than Surfside, why is council only proposing CMP, CVA and Hazard codes for Surfside?
If Surfside is so vulnerable why has the Development at the Northern End of Myamba Parade, Surfside been allowed to go ahead with no intervention on Councils part? I realise that it was passed by the NSW government body. Surely Council would have been informed and had an opportunity to object.
Council’s actions are going to affect me as a landowner. I am a pensioner and certainly will not be able afford the rise in Rates and House Insurances that will result, not to mention that house values will decline.
Andrew Constance, the then NSW Transport Minister and our Local NSW member of Parliament, visited Surfside and promised $250K for studies to be done for the “Saving of Surfside” and $5m for the implementation of solutions found by the Study. WHAT HAPPENED TO THIS? I will be following this up with the NSW government.
Concerned Resident
Sharon Cutmore
Surfside
PS: My family and I also own a unit in Myamba Parade, Surfside
Above: Across the other side of the Clyde River on the Murra Mia Walkway the King Tide breached the pavement. Surprisingly Council treats one side of the river differently to the other and the CBD as well as Hanging Rock have not been brushed with the same 'planned retreat' latent threats that now affects Surfside properties. Photo Sue West (social media)
Editor's NOTE:
In May 2021 Rosemary Deadman, the Convenor of the Surfside Residents Group, Eurobodalla Coastal Alliance wrote to the Local Member, Andrew Constance in an open letter published below,
I am writing to you to please give us the mitigation options you promised 2 years ago. Surfside has suffered massive erosion over the last couple of nights and we expect to get hammered again tonight. Some properties on McLeods beach had the sea nearly up to their back doors and on Myamba Parade, the sea has almost reached the back garden of several homes. There is very little dune left to keep the sea back and we fear another storm or two and we will get storm surge into our properties.
Andrew, we can't afford to wait until the Coastal Management Plan is ready and the studies should have been done 2 years ago as you promised. All the additional infrastructure in the river along with the recent heavy rainfalls is taking more of the sand out of the bay area and we have no more to give. Even Cullendulla has no dune left.
I request that you join available members of the PRG to inspect the damage and of course welcome Mayor Innes and the councillors to join you. I am attaching the photos but of course they are only snapshots and don't show the big picture. If you could make a time to meet, I will gather as many as of us as I can.
I look hearing from you soonest. Coastal management program, community comment sought
The draft Open Coast Coastal Management Program is on public exhibition until Wednesday 9 November and outlines a 10-year strategy to protect the ecological, social and economic value of Eurobodalla’s coastline and managing coastal hazards and the potential impacts of climate change.
Council’s coastal planner Cameron Whiting said Council recognised and shared the community’s high regard for a beautiful, clean and healthy coast.
“Storms and sea-level rise, public access to sensitive habitats, and multi-agency responsibilities are just some of the challenges to managing our coast into the future,” Mr Whiting said.
“This draft program has been developed from feedback we have been collecting since early 2021. It looks to balance environmental interests with our community’s aspirations for access and protections of our beaches – all the while maintaining the natural quality of our coast. We all have important roles to play and this CMP can become an agreed strategy between the community, Council, Traditional Owners and state agencies.”
In addition to public display, Council will hold three drop-in sessions where community members can meet with Council staff and specialist consultants to discuss the draft program:
Bay Pavilions, Thursday 3 November, 10am to 1pm
Narooma Golf Club, Friday 4 November, 10am to 1pm
Basil Sellers Exhibition Centre, Moruya, Saturday 5 November, 10am to 1pm.
Mr Whiting said the draft program included proposed priority actions such as a revetment to protect Long Beach’s Bay Road, and inundation berm to protect Surfside, and rock-wall upgrades at Wharf Road and Caseys Beach to address current and future coastal hazards at these sites.
“The CMP allows us to access valuable financial support from the NSW Government to protect and enhance our coast,” he said.
To view the draft Open Coast Coastal Management Program, visit www.esc.nsw.gov/haveyoursay
The CMP was prepared with financial and technical support from the NSW Government. For more information or to register for a drop-in session, contact Cameron Whiting on 4474 1000 or cameron.whiting@esc.nsw.gov.au
