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The formation of a Surfrider Foundation branch on the NSW Central Coast brings a new element to the campaign to stop the building of a sea wall to protect waterfront homes at Wamberal and adds strength to the grassroots campaign against gas exploration off our coast.
By Jackie Pearson
Hugh Naven is a busy young man. He is studying for a Bachelor of Economics at UTS, working and one of the key figures in the Wamberal Beach SOS (Save Our Sand) campaign. At 19, he is now the first president of the Central Coast branch of the Surfrider Foundation, and he still finds time to surf every day.
Naven says it’s that daily surf, at his beloved Wamberal Beach, that keeps him sane as a young man dealing with global issues – a pandemic, climate change – on a local and daily level.
“Mick Fanning alluded to it in one of his movies. It brings a lot of peace. No matter what sort of a day you are having, no matter what you can always go for a swim and a surf at the beach. It is a constant, it is always there,” he says.
Wamberal Beach is an erosion hotspot that first came to national attention when homes, built on the dune face, slid into the ocean in 1974. A massive east coast low in 2016 and another in 2020 threatened more homes with the same fate. Over 60 beachfront home owners have been campaigning NSW Government Whip, Parliamentary Secretary for the Central Coast and Member for Terrigal, Adam Crouch MP, to put pressure on Central Coast Council to build a sea wall along Wamberal Beach, from Terrigal Lagoon in the South to Wamberal Lagoon in the north, to protect their assets.
Surfrider Foundation Australia is a registered not for profit sea-roots organisation dedicated to the protection of Australia’s waves and beaches through conservation, activism, research and education. According to its website, it’s mission is “to inspire an engaged surfing and coastal community who are passionate about protecting oceans, waves and beaches”.
A little over 30 years ago, three passionate surfers in Malibu, California, found out that their favourite wave was about to be destroyed. Those three people worked with their local community and government until their iconic wave was preserved, the website continues.
“This was the genesis of Surfrider Foundation USA, which sparked a global movement of surfers and ocean enthusiasts to stand up for their coasts and local marine environments. Today, the Surfrider Foundation movement has grown to 18 countries around the world.
“Surfrider Foundation Australia was founded in 1991 in response to poor water quality issues along Australia’s east coast. Local surfers, being at the forefront of water quality, began a series of demonstrations and actions to persuade decision makers to take action on this ongoing issue. The group has been working hard to protect Australia’s coastlines ever since.”
SFA now has over 18 volunteer branches in NSW, WA, Queensland and Victoria.
“There’s still a lot of work to be done and our long-term success and growth is a tribute to our founders’ vision: that taking on an environmental battle may not be easy, but with constant pressure, endlessly applied, it can, and will, be won,” the website says.
The new Central Coast branch has a fair bit in common with the Northern Beaches branch, one of Surfrider Australia’s original branches.
The Northern Beaches branch has been protesting a proposed Collaroy/Narrabeen Seawall for 20 years, including with its famous Line In The Sand protest.
It is also credited with thwarting the proposed overdevelopment of Long Reef SLSC, the successful Fight for the Bight paddle outs, and currently the STOP PEP11 campaign to stop offshore gas drilling between Manly and Newcastle.
“The branch has representatives on Council committees and works closely with environmental centres in Manly and Pittwater. Beach cleans, school talks, Ocean Care Day, International Surfing Day, Ocean Friendly campaigning and fundraisers are the ways we engage the public,” the Northern Beaches branch web page says.
Naven explains that those involved in the Wamberal Beach SOS campaign came across SFA on Instagram.
“We realised they had the same intentions and the support of some internationally-recognised surfing names including Layne Beachle and Ace Buchan.
“Surfriders’ mission is to protect all ocean waves and beaches through conservation, activism, research, educating people, basically preserving the beauty of our beaches,” Naven says.
“I think Surfrider has played an integral role in preserving Collaroy, they have certainly helped slow down the process of putting a seawall in through their activism,” he says.
Like most people of his generation, Naven has grown up knowing that “the science behind sea level rise shows that it is evident”.
He calls sea walls a “reactive response to climate change.
“A lot of policy is reactive instead of proactive.”
So what would be a proactive response to the ongoing erosion issue at Wamberal?
Naven qualifies that he is no longer speaking on behalf of Wamberal SOS or Surfrider but as a young man who loves the beach: “Personally I would love to see the dunes returned to normal as a natural barrier for the beach.
“Right now the do nothing approach, which is what has been looked at in the actual reports as well as seawall options, might be the best approach.
“At Wamberal Beach the erosion is going to continue so the only way to fight it without ruining the environment is to return the dunes to their natural state. Buying back houses and demolishing them or move them back.
“Planned retreat scares everyone but variations on planned retreat could or should play a role, the government could buy properties back and pay the owners compensation or do that as properties come on the market.
“One property has just sold for $2.4 million on the dunes. Rather than let the public buy them maybe the Council should step up and buy them.”
When quizzed about whether it is fair to ask the financially impaired Central Coast Council to foot the bill, Naven replies: “Council are dealing with the matter right now but the Administrator has called on the state and national governments to play a greater part in it.”
Donning his new Surfrider Foundation hat again, Hugh Naven says: “There are beaches and surf breaks under threat all around the country.
“The Surfrider Foundation understands that whether it is sea walls, hotel developments or PEP11 projects, they understand that all beaches in Australia are becoming under increasing threat from over development.”
Naven says he encourages all Central Coast locals, young and old to become members of Surfrider Foundation for $5 a year.
“Right now the only community groups we are representing are Wamberal Beach SOS and the campaign against PEP11 but we are looking to help other community groups who feel like their beach is under threat on the Central Coast.
“The main way to get in touch with us locally is through facebook and Instagram but go to the Surfrider oz page, essentially that is where membership happens and they can find out what Surfrider is about.”
Where’s the Wamberal beach SOS campaign up to right now?
Naven says Council is waiting for Manly Hydraulics to produce its report following community consultation.
“As a company they are expected to research all possible solution, they can’t just look at sea walls, they must also look at alternate solutions. The sea wall comes more from Adam Crouch and the State Government but not necessarily Manly Hydraulics.
“We met with Adam Crouch once a couple of months ago and that was basically for him to tell us what he was doing and why. We raised a couple of issues such as community consultation and threats posed by the sea wall.”
The principles that guide and govern the activities of the Surfrider Foundation make interesting reading:
“SURFRIDER recognises the biodiversity and ecological integrity of the planet’s coasts are necessary and irreplaceable.
“SURFRIDER is committed to preserving natural living and non-living diversity and ecological integrity of the coastal environment.
“SURFRIDER promotes the right of low-impact, free and open access to the world’s waves and beaches for all people.
“SURFRIDER acts to preserve this right of access.
“SURFRIDER is dedicated to enhancing wave-riding opportunities in ways which will not adversely impact nearshore ecosystems.
“SURFRIDER believes environmental education is essential to the future health and well- being of the planet.
“SURFRIDER seeks to develop and utilise educational materials that are informative, factual, proactive, synergistic and fun.
“SURFRIDER strives to be accurate and nonpartisan in its communications with its members and the general public.
“SURFRIDER will express the unique values inherent in wave-riding — individualism, camaraderie, non materialism, and an appreciation for human kind’s historic relations with the Ocean.
“SURFRIDER is a grassroots organisation, effective through the participation of its members.
“SURFRIDER activities emphasise the value of an involved membership.
“SURFRIDER will not permit sponsors to divert the Foundation from its mission or projects undertaken.
“SURFRIDER does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, sex, or national origin for any reason.
“SURFRIDER promotes the healthy enjoyment of the coastal environment for all people.
SURFRIDER and its representatives, affiliations and chapters agree to abide by these principles and all rules and regulations governing non-profit organisations.”
As refreshing and life-affirming as a daily surf.
