Councils assess damage to beach facilities following hazardous surf conditions along NSW east coast

Earlier this week, hazardous surf conditions and huge swells along the east coast of New South Wales battered beaches and coastal walkways with many Councils having to temporarily close ocean pools and facilities to assess damage and repairs required.

Shoalhaven Council located on the NSW south coast, has advised that the Ulladulla Sea Pool will be closed to the public until further notice with the full extent of the damage not able to be determined until the swell drops and Council is able to empty the pool and carry out a detailed investigation. 

Large waves also dislodged the deck from foundation piers at the Gantry jetty in Bawley Point. The Gantry will remain closed until swells abate and investigations determine the extent of repair works.   

Shoalhaven Council Acting Director City Services, Kevin Norwood said the hazardous swell conditions and high tides had pounded the region resulting in coastal erosion and rising water levels in lakes and rivers.

Visible damage to the Ulladulla Sea Pool so far includes broken fencing and most posts on eastern side of pool; significant cracking of the concrete slab; and 10-15 metres of concrete topping slab washed away.

The Huskisson Sea Pool will also be closed for up to a week due to the hazardous surf conditions. Council will undertake fence repairs and refill the pool once it is free of sand, seaweed and debris. 

Sydney’s eastern beaches were also battered by the 5.5 metre swells which saw a trail of damage to beaches including Bondi, Bronte, Clovelly, Coogee and Cronulla.

Bondi’s world-famous Icebergs pool was hit hard by the wild surf with repair costs expected to run into the hundreds of thousands and the pool closed until 18th April. Swells surged up to 10 metres above the pool deck, smashing 30 metres of glass fencing near the change rooms, warping railings, and hurling a 20-tonne water tank onto the beach.

Bob Tate Bondi Icebergs Club general manager told media the waves struck around midnight on Tuesday, coinciding with a high tide of 1.9 metres. The surf overwhelmed the pool deck and even tore through the lifeguard tower, which sits 10 metres above. CCTV captured the torrent sweeping through the office, scattering furniture and ripping cupboards from the walls.

The club shut the pool on Tuesday afternoon in a rare move Tate says hasn’t happened in two decades. Crews began cleaning debris, including shattered glass, from the site on Wednesday.

Sam Bebb, the operations manager at Wylie’s baths in Coogee, a few suburbs south of Bondi, said they got “lucky” compared with Icebergs due to their amenities being more elevated.

A spokesperson for Randwick city council said workers this week are assessing damage at Coogee beach and along the coastal walk.

Waves smashed through the doors of Coogee Surf Club, tearing through handrails at South Coogee and deposited large amounts of sand over the steps and rainbow walkway.

Randwick Mayor Dylan Parker said that Council is working with the Coogee Surf Life Saving Club to assess damage following Coogee Surf Life Saving Club’s boat sheds having been battered.

Veteran Randwick City Council lifeguard and well-known surfer, Paul Moffatt shared “these conditions are risky even for experienced surfers. After days of flooding in Queensland, there’s an additional risk of large debris in the water” and advised the community to stay out of the water until large swells abated.

Four metre waves impacted a section of the Cronulla esplanade in Sydney’s south which was cordoned off, with parts of the concrete walkway cratering.

Several beaches in the city’s north that are popular with tourists, such as Dee Why, were also impacted.

Large stretches of the NSW coast remain under a hazardous surf warning as of yesterday as the clean-up from the monster waves continues.

The Bureau of Meteorology advised yesterday that heavy surf was expected to be hazardous for activities such as rock fishing, boating, and swimming, on beaches from Eden, south of Sydney, to Bryon on the far north coast.

NSW Police Marine Area Command is urging people to stay out of the sea and avoid walking near surf-exposed areas.

Image top. Ulladulla pool damage. Credit: Shoalhaven Council; Image centre. Bondi Icebergs pool closure; Image below. Coogee handrail damage. Credit: Randwick Council