Foreshore slip-sliding away

EVERY time there is a storm or a king tide, more metres are lost along the shoreline at Toogoom – and removing vegetation is only making it worse, Fraser Coast councillor Sue Brooks says.

The council is working with the State Government to come up with a solution to the problem, not only at Toogoom but throughout the Fraser Coast, Ms Brooks says, but residents need to remember that removing vegetation is illegal and contributes to what is already a huge problem.

“It is unlawful to remove vegetation without council permission,” she said.

“It would be very difficult to get approval in coastal areas.”

Ms Brooks said anyone who saw the removal of vegetation could contact the council to make a report.

Erosion has also made several trees unstable along the foreshore at Toogoom, with many falling down after the weekend’s huge king tide.

Toogoom resident Niki Carmichael believed the area could be dangerous to those walking along the foreshore under the trees and said she and her partner had seen several metres of shoreline lost to erosion since they moved in six months ago.

“We lost a few trees when the high tide was here,” she said.

“Some are going to fall in the near future.”

Ms Brooks said there was no quick fix for the problem but it was an issue that needed to be addressed urgently across the coast.

Ms Brooks said if erosion was allowed to continue, the public could eventually lose access to beaches as boundaries were pushed back to private property and owners took what action was necessary to protect their homes.

“The challenge we face is being able to afford to pay for what needs to be done and deciding what works are appropriate to each area.

“The State Government has to work with councils along the coast.”