Work Starts on Stockton’s New Seawall

Hunter Water has begun construction of a large sand container seawall to protect its site at Stockton from coastal erosion.

The work is being undertaken by a specialist contractor and will involve excavating and installing 17 Mega Geotextile Sand Containers along the face of the site.

Hunter Water’s Chief Investment Officer Darren Cleary said that the seawall would help protect the land in the medium term. “Using more than 10,000 tonnes of sand, the structure will span approximately 100 meters in length once complete.”

“The seawall is designed to be a medium term solution for the site. It’s expected to last between five and seven years, while a long term strategy for coastal erosion is developed by the NSW Government and Newcastle City Council,” said Darren Cleary.

“Hunter Water is getting on with the job of constructing this seawall because it’s the right thing to do for the Stockton community and for the environment. We anticipate construction will take around 12 weeks to complete, weather permitting. During this time, beach access will be restricted. I’d like to thank Stockton residents for their patience while we undertake this work,” added Mr Cleary.

A large storm event in January 2018 caused significant erosion of Hunter Water’s land and exposed part of a former landfill, which was operated by Newcastle City Council between June 1964 and December 1971.

Since then, Hunter Water has taken a number of steps to clean up and secure the site, including excavating and removing some of the landfill, because the priority has been ensuring the community’s health and safety.

Currently Hunter Water has fully funded approximately $3 million to clean up and dispose of the waste, and is now funding an additional $2.24 million to construct the seawall.