The relentless forces of nature have once again claimed a piece of Western Australia's coastline, leaving a small town and its residents facing an uncertain future. Lancelin, a quaint tourist destination, is now on the brink of a crisis as the ocean relentlessly encroaches upon its shores. This story is a stark reminder of the devastating impact of coastal erosion and the urgent need for action.
Jan and Gary Screaigh, the dedicated owners of Lancelin North End Caravan Park, have spent 42 years nurturing their business. However, the relentless erosion has carved out over 30 meters of sand in just three years, posing an existential threat to their livelihood. Their daughter, Sheree O'Neil, expresses the family's dire predicament: 'We’re facing losing not only mum and dad’s property, but the whole town really is looking at being washed away.'
The situation is particularly dire for the Lancelin Sands Hotel, owned by Glenn Trebilock, who has raised $150,000 to save his establishment from a similar fate. The public footpath, once a gateway to the pristine beach, has been partially washed away, and the pub, located just a few meters away from the caravan park, is also in imminent danger. The erosion has accelerated in recent months, eroding the coastline at a rate that the local council had projected for 2050.
Locals and residents are united in their call for an emergency, permanent seawall as the only viable solution. Mike Duxbury, a Lancelin resident, warns that the town may face a dire fate within months if the temporary seawall fails. A report commissioned by the council a few years ago predicted that Lancelin would be 'inundated' by 2070, but the current rate of erosion suggests an even more imminent crisis.
The blame for the accelerated erosion lies in heavy dune mining in Lancelin. Limesand mining, a decades-old practice, extracts an estimated 200,000 to 400,000 tonnes of sand from the beach annually. The dunes, once towering natural wonders, have been significantly diminished, leaving the coastline vulnerable. Sheree O'Neil and Mike Duxbury both attribute the erosion to the mining activities, emphasizing the need for immediate action to halt the mining and address the coastal crisis.
The Shire of Gingin has taken steps to address the situation, holding a Special Council Meeting on June 30 to tackle the 'rapid coastal erosion' in Lancelin. Council officers are actively seeking state government disaster funding to devise a long-term solution. They have installed rock bags and initiated a sand nourishment program, delivering 7000 cubic meters of sand as a temporary measure to protect the coastline.
However, the council acknowledges the complexity of the issue, recognizing the varying opinions within the community regarding the contributing factors and management responses. They emphasize the need for scientific evidence and expert technical advice to address the causes of coastal erosion effectively.
As the sun sets on another day, Lancelin's fate hangs in the balance. The town's residents, businesses, and the very fabric of its existence are at the mercy of the ocean's relentless advance. The call for urgent action and a comprehensive solution to the coastal erosion crisis in Lancelin resonates loudly, serving as a stark reminder of the power of nature and the fragility of human endeavors along the world's coastlines.
