City of Newcastle (CN) said that they have welcomed the $2.3 million in funding from the NSW Government’s 2021-22 Coastal and Estuary Grants Program for the first of three protection structures to address immediate erosion risk at Stockton Beach.
This grant will be boosted by further funding from CN for the first protection structure to be delivered as part of the Stockton Coastal Management Program (CMP) 2020. Also, this will see CN’s investment at Stockton since the adoption of the Coastal Management Program in 2020 increase to $9.5 million. Council has already committed $27.5 million to protecting Stockton Beach.
The first protection structure will be located at the southern end of the existing Mitchell Street seawall (just south of Pembroke Street) in Stockton.
CN has completed the design of the protection structure and has recently awarded the tender for the work and this funding will enable construction on the first protection structure to commence in the first half of 2023.
Also, CN will continue to work with Stockton Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Group to ensure works respect the significance of the Stockton coastline to the Worimi people and protects their heritage.
The design of the structure considers its ability to address erosion from storm events, as well as long-term beach recession. It also considers the requirement to protect public assets at high-risk.
The beach protection structures, and the emergency works undertaken at Stockton Beach, complement the NSW Government’s proposed mass sand nourishment on the beach.