STOCKTON WORKS UPDATE MARCH 2021

BEACH ACCESS

As we move into Autumn, we are continuing to monitor and repair as many accessways as possible to keep the community safe and provide access to the beach.

Meredith Street: OPEN. This dune accessway is open. Stockton Beach from King Street: CLOSED. There is no Please follow the path to protect growing vegetation in access from the northern breakwater and safety signage the area. This growth is essential in stabilising the dune. and barricades are in place. This will be inspected and maintained until breakwater repairs are complete. Please Hereford Street to Pembroke Street: OPEN. At ‘The Pines’ do not access the beach from the northern breakwater end of the car park two accessways are open, with minor and use the Lexie’s access instead. repairs made as needed. Stone Street, at the north end of Mitchell Street seawall: Lexies: OPEN. This accessway is clear and will continue to OPEN UNTIL WORKS BEGIN. Works to install rockbags on receive sand as needed. Please stay on the designated the beach will start in the coming weeks. Barrie Crescent path to keep safe and protect the dunes. Reserve remains closed. : OPEN. This accessway was damaged by Little Beach Mitchell Street Seawal stair ways: CLOSED. Sand levels storms and rain last year but is open and being monitored. are not high enough to open any of the three stairways.

Please note that the ongoing use of closed accessways is damaging the emergency works that are protecting the coastline, so please follow the direction of signage.

Photo: Last year finished the rehabilitation of a river wall olong the Hunter River in Stockton. The project is over 200 metres in length and is located just north of the Stockton .

Works are weather permitting. For more information and rolling updates visit www.newcastle.nsw.gov.au/stockton-works STOCKTON WORKS UPDATE MARCH 2021

WORKS UPDATE Dalby Oval: Temporary fencing at Dalby Oval has been Barrie Crescent Rock Bag Structure: removed and dune fencing has been reinstated. Please Kyowa Rock Bags were filled last month at the Ballast stay off established grassed area as much as possible. Ground. Some minor quality control checks may take place during the first week of March. Installation Sand Nourishment: The Hunter River South Arm sand of the temporary rock bag structure on the beach at sourcing, feasibility and approvals project was lodged Barrie Crescent is scheduled to start in the second as a Department Planning, Industry & Environment week of March and finish by the second week of May, grant application on 23 December 2020. Hunter & pending weather. Residents will be notified accordingly, Central Coast Development Corporation and City of and signage will be updated onsite. Newcastle will be ready to start work on the feasibility assessment study as soon as the State Government grant Stockton Coastal Management Program 2021 assessment is finalised. The study will include options for Development Update: City of Newcastle is working with mass nourishment to create a beach width capable of Bluecoast Engineering, northern landholders, key agency providing long term protection for Stockton Beach. It will stakeholders and the Stockton Community Liaison Group also cover options for smaller sand volumes that could to reiew the potential management options for the area provide amenity improvements, as a more cost-effective north of Meredith Street. Options are being reviewed in alternative sand source than trucking sand from existing terms of their ability to provide a buffer against coastal quarries. hazards, provide for social values including beach amenity and recreation, safeguard the environment and King Street - Northern Breakwater: We have a design expected community acceptability, based on previous agreement with the for the repairs of community feedback. The Coastal Management Act the eroded north face of the Northern Breakwater (off 2016 requires that the preferred management scheme/s King Street) near the beach. These works will repair critical for this expanded area must be committed to by the Port of Newcastle access, and provide a foundation affected northern landholders who are Hunter Water for City of Newcastle to reinstate beach access to Corporation, Defence Housing, Family and Community the southern end of Stockton Beach. Current beach Services, and Crownland. For more information visit pedestrian and vehicle access is closed until the repair newcastle.nsw.gov.au/stockton. works are completed. This also means commercial fishers will be using the most southerly accessway to Little Mitchell Street Local Centre Upgrade: Construction is Beach, via Pitt Street Reserve. Please be cautious if you now commencing on our upgrade of the Mitchell Street are using the shared pathway and/or Reserve. local centre, starting with the replacement of stormwater infrastructure along Mitchell Street, increasing the capacity of the system to better manage water during heavy rainfall. We will also replace the water main while these works are underway. During the construction period temporary road and footpath diversions will be necessary to complete our works. For your safety, please follow the directions provided by our teams and on-site signage. For more information and updates visit newcastle.nsw.gov.au/ localcentres.

City of Newcastle requests all residents and visitors be aware of changed conditions and follow signage and the instructions of authorities.

Photo: The Kyowa Rock Bags have been filled and works will start on the installation of a protection structure along Barrie Crescent in the coming weeks.

Works are weather permitting. For more information and rolling updates visit www.newcastle.nsw.gov.au/stockton-works