Residents of one of Western Australia’s holiday hotspots are sounding the alarm as coastal erosion eats away at their land.
The state government will send experts to assess the damage in Lancelin, about 115 kilometres north of Perth, but locals are concerned it’s too little too late.
These two images, taken five years apart, highlight the confronting reality of erosion in the beachside town.
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“Once the beach is gone then, you know, Lancelin’s disappearing one grain at a time,” Lancelin Sounds Hotel owner Glen Trebilcock said.
What used to be a leisurely stroll on a dirt track down to the water is now a six-metre drop.
Trebilcock is concerned his pub could be next.
“If it can do this in the space of six weeks, by Christmas I’m going to have the only slip and slide in Lancelin,” he told 9News.
Further down the bay, the marine rescue centre is also teetering on the edge.
Locals fear Lancelin could be heading in the same direction as the town of Seabird, 30 kilometres away, if swift action isn’t taken.
“They dredge it every year and put sand back there. it’s not logical,” Lancelin resident Peter Murphy said.
Gingin Shire President Councillor Linda Balcombe said the council’s measurements show in the past three months at least six metres had been lost.
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Workers first removed part of the oceanside path in March for safety reasons.
“We’re not sure what’s caused it into that area to be so dramatic,” Balcombe said.
Transport Minister Rita Saffioti said $20.6 million had been invested in addressing erosion since 2020, with another $33.6 million committed until 2026.
“Coastal engineers from the Department of Transport will soon be travelling to the region and inspect the site,” she said.
Trebilcock said he hoped authorities started taking the problem seriously, suggesting a rock wall or groynes could help.
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