As an action within the Gosford Beaches Coastal Zone Management Plan (2017), Central Coast Council have prepared draft designs for temporary coastal protection works at the southern end of MacMasters Beach.

The primary purpose of the works was to help protect the MacMasters Beach Surf Life Saving Club from coastal hazards, including erosion. The works would assist in mitigating current risk while further investigation into future risk exposure and long-term management can be undertaken.

The draft design details a temporary coastal protection structure comprising of rock bag armour units which would protect and stabilise an 80-metre section in front of the surf club between the steps down to the ocean bath and the vehicle access ramp. Due to site constraints, the structure cannot be positioned further landward and its design has been carefully considered to reduce potential impacts on beach access, amenity and coastal processes.

This project is jointly funded through Council and the NSW State Government’s Coastal and Estuary Grants Program.

There is an 80-metre length of foreshore at the southern end of MacMasters Beach where coastal protection works are required to reduce the risk of erosion impacts to existing assets. This issue was included as an action in the certified Gosford Beaches Coastal Zone Management Plan (2017) and Council secured grant funding from the NSW State Government for the project.

Currently, informal coastal protection works are present in front of the surf club, including Bulka bags filled with stabilised sand. The bags were placed in June 2016 in an emergency response to erosion after large ocean swell and tides. This structure has since deteriorated and continues to degrade while only providing a very limited level of protection over a small section of the foreshore.

While Council had a draft design for a typical rock revetment previously, in more recent consultation with key stakeholders a preference was identified for a temporary coastal protection structure comprising of rock bag armour units. While other concept options, including vertical seawalls, were investigated and considered, the following advantages of a design using rock bag armour units were key to its selection:

• Provides a reduced footprint, compared to typical rock revetments and the previous design, and reduces beach access and visual impacts.
• Rock bag armour units are flexible and can be easily removed and re-used elsewhere if adverse outcomes are experienced. Additionally, it is easy to raise or modify the structure to adjust to changing conditions.
• This option is cost effective and best mitigates wave reflection impacts at this location.
• It provides appropriate protection to the surf club over a shorter design life while a long-term solution can be investigated and developed.

Council engaged coastal engineers to draft the design. When preparing the design, the engineers carefully considered difficult site constraints and design considerations, including the need to:

• Retain and avoid disturbing the existing Norfolk Island pine trees.
• Avoid any excavation into the slope of the dune due to Aboriginal heritage.
• Minimise the extent that the structure projects onto the beach to maintain beach access.
• Provide a value for money solution.
• Provide an acceptable level of protection to the surf club from coastal hazards.
• Minimise potential impacts on surf and beach amenity.

Feedback submissions for this project have now closed. All responses received during the consultation period have been used to inform the final design and next steps for the project.

Between 11 November and 9 December 2024 Council sought your feedback via:

• Filling in the online survey.
• Email

The community were encouraged to view the draft design and provide comments and feedback using the survey.

Council also hosted a drop-in session where members of the public were invited to come and meet Council staff to discuss the project.

This drop-in session was held at MacMasters Beach Surf Life Saving Club on Wednesday 20 November 2024, 2.00pm – 6.00pm.

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At the 22 July 2025 Ordinary Council Meeting, the following was resolved. Updates have been included to show their current status.

4 Adopts the recommendations of the Extraordinary Environment and Planning

Committee in the below resolutions.

a) Item 1.3 – MacMasters Beach Temporary Coastal Protection Works

EPC27/25

That Council:

I. Under Council's delegation, requires that the Chief Executive Officer request an extension of the current Coast and Estuary grant to 31 December 2026 (noting that the likely construction window would now be mid 2026).

*Completed. A grant variation request to extend the grant funding term was completed and submitted to the NSW Government’s Coast and Estuary Grants Branch. The request has since been approved and the grant funding term completion date extended to 31 December 2026.

II. Directs the Chief Executive Officer to include an action in the Open Coast Coastal Management Program (CMP) for the future possibility of temporary coastal protection works.

*The draft Open Coast Coastal Management Program will be updated to include an appropriate action following completion of the public exhibition period and prior to being submitted for certification.

III. Notes the inclusion of the action in the draft CMP to "Complete coastal risk and options assessment for Marine Parade at MacMasters Beach".

*Included in the draft Open Coast CMP.

IV. Requests the Chief Executive Officer obtain a risk assessment from an appropriately qualified arborist for the Norfolk Island Pines along the foreshore of MacMasters Beach fronting the surf club.

*Completed. The Norfolk Island Pines were not identified as a risk during the inspection.

V. Directs the Chief Executive Officer to disconnect the beach shower at the southern end of the surf club due to the erosion impacts on the embankment fronting MacMasters Beach SLSC.

*Completed.

VI. Investigates and undertakes short term safety works to the embankment fronting the MacMasters Beach SLSC with a view to replacing the deteriorating rock filled "Bulka Bags".

*Staff are investigating what short term safety works could be undertaken in consideration of planning and environmental constraints.

VII. Allocates the unspent portion of the 2024-25 project budget be rephased into the 2025-26 Council works program to allow delivery of Temporary Coastal Protection Works in 2025-26.

*Unspent budget to be rephased into 2025-26.

VIII. Endorses that MacMasters Beach Coastal Management becomes a standing agenda item for the Coastal Estuary and Floodplain Management subcommittee.

*Council’s Coastal, Estuary and Floodplain Risk Management Sub-Committee in the process of being formed.

The full minutes from the meeting can be found here.

All Council meeting agendas and minutes can be found here.