Minister Carey outlines two-stage solution to Lancelin coastal erosion

JUST plonking in a seawall to stop coastal erosion in Lancelin could cost a lot of money and possibly lead to unintended consequences, says assistant Transport minister John Carey.

On Thursday, the same day some Lancelin residents visited the city to protest about what they perceived to be a lack of action by both the Shire of Gingin and the Cook Government, Mr Carey told ABC Mornings that the government was attempting a two-stage approach.

Firstly it was providing the Shire of Gingin with $450,000 to get an interim solution in place that bought some time.

“(Secondly getting) the best information and the best advice about how we proceed and that we don’t put something in, for example, that has completely unintended consequences that simply shifts the problem, say, from the pub to another part of the town, or moves it to the caravan park, which is just behind it,’’ he said.

Mr Carey said since 2020 there had been more than a 50m erosion of the beach and confirmed retreat was definitely one option.

Coastal erosion is certainly not a new issue in Lancelin and there are solutions.

In June UWA coastal engineering lecturer Arnold van Rooijen told Yanchep News Online one solution could be a sea wall.

But it would need to be along the entire Lancelin coastline because if you stopped the erosion where it was now it would probably make it worse somewhere else.

He also said it would cost millions of dollars just to build the sea wall but then it had to be maintained.

As recently as 2023 planning for future erosion and flooding risks was a hot topic in the shire following public information sessions in Lancelin and Seabird about the shire’s coastal hazard risk management and adaption plan (CHRMAP) and coastal management strategy (CMS).

It’s fair to say many community members were blindsided when at those public sessions the shire’s CMS outlined management actions for seven sites in Lancelin, Ledge Point, Seabird and Guilderton – without defining the word trigger – referred to the trigger-based relocation of coastal paths and trigger-based relocation of coastal assets and infrastructure away from the hazard zone as reported in Guidelines allow for coastal land uses until risk becomes unacceptable August 28, 2023.

Three triggers were defined in the 2019 Western Australian Planning Commission’s coastal hazard risk management and adaption planning guidelines appendix 4 planned or managed retreat – existing planning framework and instruments.

Trigger 1. Where the most landward part of the horizontal shoreline datum (HSD) is within 40m of the most seaward part of a development and/or structure(s) lot boundary.

Trigger 2. Where a public road is no longer available or able to provide legal access to the property.

Trigger 3. When water, sewerage or electricity to the lot is no longer available as they have been removed/decommissioned by the relevant authority due to coastal hazards.

The document said the trigger distance determined when planned or managed retreat was activated for a specific development or structure.

It also said a planned or managed retreat allowed development or structures to remain and be safely used until the coastal hazard risk became unacceptable.

Once they understood the implications of the triggers some community members vented their anger at shire staff.

On August 23, 2023 then President Wayne Fewster raised what he said was abuse shire staff had been receiving in relation to the shire’s coastal management planning document, which was then due to soon go to the council for adoption.

“It is obvious that quite a few out there in social media would have no or very little understanding of local government processes,’’ he said.

“Yes, certain staff have appropriate delegated authority to make some decisions and are responsible for preparing reports for council and they are obliged to consider all relevant information and make recommendations to council.’’

But he said in many instances after considering all the information including the comments received during the consultation phase it was the councillors who made any decision not the staff.

Prior to those public sessions in 2023 now Shire of Gingin deputy president Frank Peczka was a mostly lone voice calling on the council to increase the shire’s community consultation on the issue so they could bring the community with them on the journey, which in the past 18 months has become somewhat of a roller coaster.

On Monday, July 20 The Nationals WA leader and Mid West MLA Shane Love said he had been raising the issue of coastal erosion at north Lancelin repeatedly in Parliament since it started escalating in September 2024.

“I commend Minister Carey for taking the time to travel to Lancelin to view the effects of the erosion for himself – it is difficult to gauge the urgency of the situation from photos,” he said.

Mr Love said he looked forward to meeting with Mr Carey early next month following a meeting request made last week.