FOLLOWING the death of a child in a sand dune collapse at Eden last Monday, a local resident has spoken out about dangerous dunes on our local beaches.
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President of the Shoalhaven Heads Surf Club Karl Poulton said there have been many changes in rips, predominantly at the front of the clubhouse, which have caused sand dunes as high as 5-6 metres to form.
Mr Poulton said that it was extremely imperative that action be taken to address the problems along the beach.
“The biggest thing we are pushing for at the moment is more awareness,” he said.
“There is no practical way to fix the problem. We can only let the people know of the risks involved,” Mr Poulton said.
Mr Poulton said that the issue was a concern to the public and that addressing it before the Christmas rush was imperative.
“There’s an option to fence it off but it would require lots of work, you can’t stop access.”
Mr Poulton said he believed the best option was to erect signage warning of the possible danger.
He said a similar issue at Currarong had been resolved by using signage.
“The sand dunes will change in two to three years’ time by themselves and may end up flat so there’s not much we can do about it.
“We can try to get excavators if it’s within the Council’s budget,” Mr Poulton said.
Mr Poulton said that the Council’s main focus should be on signage at major points along the beach including the Shoalhaven Heads Surf Club, the Caravan Park and the tracks at the Golf Club which are the public’s three access points to the beach.
“It’s certainly a safety concern. As patrolling members, we try to make people aware that the dunes are unstable. We need to be proactive,” he said.
