The Record · Saga
Wamberal Beach erosion
Last updated 3 July 2026 · This page grows as the saga does.
Wamberal Beach, between Terrigal and Forresters Beach, is the Central Coast’s best-known coastal erosion site: a low dune backed by beachfront houses that have been repeatedly threatened when storms strip the beach. The long-term answer now sits inside council’s Open Coast Coastal Management Program (CMP), the ten-year plan for managing hazards along the region’s open coastline, which the NSW Government certified in June 2026.
What has been decided
The certified CMP adopts a preferred solution for Wamberal of sand nourishment underpinned by a buried rock revetment: keep the beach supplied with sand, with an engineered rock structure buried beneath as the last line of defence. Certification makes council eligible for NSW Government grants to deliver the program and, in council’s words, strengthens its position for federal grants, particularly for offshore sand nourishment.
The timeline so far
- August 2025 Draft Open Coast CMP publicly exhibited.
- March 2026 Re-exhibited with amendments after community and stakeholder feedback.
- April 2026 Endorsed by council.
- June 2026 Certified by the NSW Government.
- Open Funding and delivery. Council’s Key Enabling Projects 2026 list includes a $40 million sand nourishment ask; the adopted 2026-27 budget added $3.5 million over four years for CMP implementation, including The Entrance Channel dredging.
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