Fencing started this week to line the bottom of dunes at Old Bar Beach in order to stop erosion and capture the falling sand from the dunes. 

President of the Old Bar Beach Sand Replenishment Group Elaine Pearce said she hopes the 1.4 kilometres of fencing can reach from Badgers to Second Corner. 

The materials for the fence were purchased with a $12,000 grant from the Federal Government’s Stronger Communities Grants Program.

Workers from Nortec’s Work for the Dole program started the work on Monday, March 13 and will continue next Monday. 

“The dune traps ease our concern and anxiety about the erosion,” Elaine said. 

“While they are an emergency and temporary solution – they add protection.” 

Elaine said the method of sand traps, which were erected by the replenishment over a year ago, have played an important role in stopping further erosion.

The traps, which captures sand moving in the wind, creates a mound of sand. 

Despite the traps being damaged in the recent wild weather, the sand collected by the traps only shifted as far as the water and now sits in a bank. 

“It is a very good thing the sand is still there,” Elaine said. 

“This means there is a strong possibility of beach scraping, where at low tide the sand can be scraped back towards the dunes.” 

Elaine said the group will look for funding to try the method of beach scraping. 

While these temporary solutions give peace of mind, the group is still firmly focussed on the long term plan of a Old Bar Manning Point Coastal Management Plan.

Gerard Tuckerman, manager of natural systems at MidCoast Council, has gathered a group of coastal engineers and environmental specialists to assist in the preparation of the plan. 

An additional erosion analysis undertaken by Manly Hydraulics is expected to be presented to MidCoast Council by the end of the month – this will add to the plan’s detail. 

Elaine said the group will continue to follow up on the details of the plan.

She added the group strongly supports the method of dredging 30,000 cubic metres of sand from Farquhar Inlet for Old Bar Beach.