Gold Coast residents desperate to save properties from erosion
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AU Financial Review
09-07-2025
- AU Financial Review
Step inside one of the nation's most extraordinary new homes
As Cyclone Alfred lashed the coast of Byron Bay earlier this year, the inhabitants of the recently completed 'Lighthouse' residence marvelled calmly at the spectacle of Mother Nature in full cry. It was not just the fact that the house they'd commissioned from Brisbane's BVN architects is built like a fortress and able to resist the onslaught of a tropical storm; it was also that, being totally open to the north and surrounded by native forest, it offers an immersion in the elements. 'It was awesome,' recalls the owner, who requested to remain anonymous. He moved here with his wife and four children from Brisbane last winter. 'Tall trees were bent over and whipping about, but not only did we feel incredibly secure, we felt like this was an unparalleled experience of nature.'
7NEWS
03-07-2025
- 7NEWS
Gold Coast beaches to take years to recover from Cyclone Alfred
The Gold Coast 's iconic beaches are in crisis, with experts warning it will take at least two years for them to fully recover from the devastating impact of Cyclone Alfred. Four months after the storm battered Queensland's coast, some of the city's most popular stretches of sand remain badly damaged raising fears that major events could be disrupted or cancelled. The city has already lost the Pacific Airshow, which was expected to inject $33 million into the local economy, after organisers pulled out due to the poor beach conditions. At Narrowneck, fresh footage shows the beach still closed, with warning signs in place and large drops where sand has been washed away. Local beachgoers told 7NEWS the damage is like nothing they've seen before. 'There's a three-metre drop down a rock wall now, it's not like past times when it was just sand,' one visitor said. Another added, 'You can't really get down to the beach here, it's disappointing to see.' Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate initially promised the beaches would be repaired by April, even joking in March anyone who thought otherwise could call him out over a beer. But yesterday he delivered a much grimmer update. 'It's going to take two years to recover from what Alfred did to us,' Tate said. One local quipped it would cost the mayor 'a couple more beers than he promised.' Griffith University expert Dr Guilherme Vieira da Silva confirmed the extent of the damage is some of the worst he's seen. 'In terms of beach erosion, we've actually seen a fair bit of erosion, so this is up there with the most intense storms on record,' he said. The economic fallout is also mounting, with organisers warning ongoing beach damage could threaten future events and tourism. So far only the Pacific Airshow has been cancelled, but the potential for more disruptions is growing. In an effort to restore the coastline, a 7.7-kilometre underground pipeline has been switched on, pumping sand to Main Beach, Narrowneck and Surfers Paradise. A dredging barge is also operating offshore. Tate said 87 per cent of the beaches remain open and are still being enjoyed by locals and tourists. 'So as far as being an asset for people and tourists alike, it is useable,' he said.
Sydney Morning Herald
01-07-2025
- Sydney Morning Herald
‘Bomb cyclone' to intensify amid evacuation warnings and pleas to stay indoors
'The terrible thing is that the situation is going to worsen over the course of the next 24 hours, particularly later this afternoon and into the evening tomorrow. So once again, we're asking people to be as prepared as they possibly can be.' Authorities urged people to move their cars away from large trees as heavy rain hit saturated ground and fierce winds began to tear down branches and powerlines, cutting power to 30,000 people across the Hunter, Central Coast and Sydney, as of Tuesday night. Although much of the coast was on alert for minor to moderate riverine flooding, flash flooding unleashed by possible downpours of 200 millimetres posed the greatest threat, particularly between Newcastle and the Illawarra. The South Coast will encounter the greatest risk from flash flooding as the weather system continues its poleward crawl before spinning into the Tasman late in the week. 'The most intense impacts, including the heavy rainfall, are most likely across the Illawarra and parts of the South Coast [on Tuesday night],' said Miriam Bradbury, a senior meteorologist at the Bureau of Meteorology. What is a 'bomb cyclone'? Meteorological jargon used to describe the unusual low-pressure storm system has included 'bomb cyclone', 'bombogenesis' and 'explosive cyclogenesis'. These terms all refer to the rapid intensification of the weather system. A dramatic plunge in pressure – about 20 to 30 hectopascals over the past day or two – transformed the low into a severe storm system. Regions of low pressure in the atmosphere funnel air upwards, which triggers the development of storm clouds and powerful winds. The system the bureau called a 'vigorous coastal low' spiralled down the coast while generating storm-force offshore winds comparable to a category two cyclone, adjunct professor of environmental geography at CQUniversity Steve Turton said. 'That's certainly going to increase the wave energy and the swells and so on coming onto the coast. We're looking at over 5 million people likely to be affected by this system,' he said. Abnormally warm water off the NSW coast helped fuel the rapid intensification, Turton said. Warmer oceans turbocharge storm energy and supply weather systems with moisture for heavy rain. A region of ocean water brewing 1 to 3 degrees above the long-term average also contributed to Tropical Cyclone Alfred and May's flood disaster, Turton said. 'That pool of warm water off the coast will certainly be providing additional energy into this system and increasing the risk for more rapid intensification and flash flooding,' he said. About 90 per cent of the Earth's extra heat caused by the burning of fossil fuels is trapped within the ocean, he noted. NSW East Coast weather warnings A severe weather warning for damaging, locally destructive winds remained in place for Sydney, the Illawarra, and parts of Mid North Coast, Hunter, South Coast, Central Tablelands, Southern Tablelands, Northern Tablelands and Northern Rivers as of 4pm Tuesday. Rock fishers, boaters and swimmers were urged to stay away from the ocean under a hazardous surf warning in place from the Hunter down to Eden. Coastal erosion and damage to infrastructure may strike the coastline between Seal Rocks and the NSW-Victorian border. Southern parts of the Mid North Coast, the Hunter, Sydney-Illawarra Coast and Snowy catchments were under flood watch for minor flooding, while moderate flooding was possible for the Hawkesbury-Neapean. Stay up to date with warnings here or on the Hazards Near Me app. Public transport warnings and flight cancellations Transport for NSW operations management executive director Craig Moran advised people to avoid non-essential travel, and if they did need to travel, to give themselves extra time and be prepared for disruptions. 'There may be sudden road closures or there may be sudden delays on the public transport system. Everything is holding up OK at the moment, but … just be prepared that circumstances can change,' he said shortly after midday on Tuesday. A number of low-lying roads were closed in the Shoalhaven area on the state's South Coast, which had received high amounts of rain overnight, he said. Sydney Airport switched to using just its east-west runway on Tuesday afternoon due to strong south-westerly winds, leaving two of its three runways closed. The agency said delays are expected, with passengers advised to check with their airlines regarding any changes to travel arrangements.
