Collaroy Case Study Coastal Management

Dear local council,
After undertaking my investigation in the effectiveness of current coastal management strategies at Collaroy Beach and Long Reef I have come to a few conclusions which will sustain the beach for many years to come. Whilst acknowledging the strategies in place, I graded their effectiveness and considered the human and environmental impacts. I investigated the issue concerning coastal erosion by doing some firsthand work at Collaroy Beach and Long Reef and by some secondary research. Some of the first hand work included calculating the slope of the sand and some of the secondary source included comparing old photographs with more recent ones and also doing some internet research. I believe that some of my alternatives to slow down and even
prevent beach erosion could allow the beach to be much more sustainable for generations to come. As the local council, I believe it is your responsibility to ensure that not only Collaroy beach is taken care of, but also its surroundings need to be inspected so construction isn’t taking place on the dunes or too close to the beach.
Weather is one of the chief problems causing the coastal environment to crumble, this is due to weather being a continuous and repetitive thing that eventually erodes the beach. Even though weather is a major contributor to erosion it can also be a positive as in summer the weather helps the vegetation grow which slows down erosion. After acknowledging the impacts, I have made plans to work simultaneously with the environmental factors. At the moment the main coastal management strategies at Long Reef and Collaroy Beach seem to be the bins, signs, fencing, vegetation and designated walkways. It has come to my attention that most of these are placed in quite suitable areas such as the signs, bins and vegetation; but I believe the fencing can be placed more strategically so intruders don’t enter and damage the vegetation. Throughout this investigation, I have thought of a few ideas which I strongly believe will enhance and benefit the coastal environment at the beach. An idea which I believe would be a great investment for the beach and that would prevent and slow down erosion is to install an offshore breakwater to reduce wave power. It should be situated under the water; deep
enough so it’s not a danger. Beach nourishment is a handy procedure which can be the first step for reducing beach erosion, but it can’t be a permanent solution due to the economical price and the frequency at which it has to be done. One major factor that I believe is affecting beach erosion is the lack of vegetation. Growing of more vegetation would help in the slowing down of erosion as it helps to hold the dunes in place and keep them from suffering erosion. In conclusion I believe that if my strategies are implemented, Collaroy beach and Long Reef will be much more sustainable for future generations to come.