City of Albany council backs erosion management plan for at-risk Emu Beach

In a bid to combat the “increasingly urgent” threat of erosion at Emu Beach, the City of Albany has adopted a foreshore management plan for the at-risk stretch of coast.

The Emu Beach Foreshore Management plan was endorsed in an 11-1 vote last Tuesday night — with Cr Ray Hammond voting against — mapping short and long-term actions to improve the resilience of the coast from the Albany Golf Course to Emu Point.

Coastal erosion has been a threat to footpaths, community infrastructure, businesses and homes in the Emu Beach area for decades and was identified as an “erosion hotspot” by the WA Government in 2019.

Short-term works proposed in the plan for the next five years include the construction of a granite boulder groyne field and sand nourishment at Emu Beach and Oyster Harbour.

It is recommended over the next decade to undertake capital works for upgrades to existing coastal protection structures, including the Emu Point rock revetment.

According to an officer’s report published ahead of the meeting, “extensive” community consultation had taken place.

“The community has been at the forefront of the City’s planning for this area, and there have been multiple opportunities and processes to be engaged and input on project outcomes,” the report states.

The management plan is set to be funded by the City and WA Planning Commission.

However, the report states the City requires “a considerable amount” of funding to carry out the works, including $6 million for landscape elements and about $5.5m for coastal protection works.

Most recently, the State Government committed $230,000 in funding in May to support the completion of groyne field optimisation modelling and design.