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Home / World

Oz weather: Wamberal Beach homes collapse as waves hammer New South Wales coast

By Anthony Piovesan
news.com.au·
17 Jul, 2020 11:24 PM2 mins to read

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At least 66 homes along the Wamberal Beach shoreline have been declared at risk of collapsing. Photo / Supplied

At least 66 homes along the Wamberal Beach shoreline have been declared at risk of collapsing. Photo / Supplied

Two homes along the New South Wales Central Coast have partially collapsed during high tide overnight and other luxury beachside properties along the shore face a similar fate.

Shocking pictures released on Saturday morning show homes missing walls, which have fallen into the sea, and others standing on only concrete blocks, the land around them swept away as waves lap at what's left.

An east coast low caused strong waves to hammer the seaside homes near Wamberal Beach for several days, causing severe erosion.

Wamberal Beach has been declared the worst-hit area, where 66 homes are now deemed "at risk".

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Affected resident Veronica Allison said the disaster could have been prevented.

"This is quite a tragedy and it should never, never have happened," she told Sunrise on Saturday morning.

Waves have battered the shoreline for several days after an east coast low. Photo / 
Supplied
Waves have battered the shoreline for several days after an east coast low. Photo / Supplied

Others lashed out at the local council, saying they were denied the ability to protect their homes.

"There's got to be blood on their hands, this is absolute devastation," resident Warren Hughes told 7 News.

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"They say they've been lobbying for a seawall for decades with similar levels of erosion taking place in 2016."

A Wamberal Beach home is close to collapsing. Photo / Supplied
A Wamberal Beach home is close to collapsing. Photo / Supplied

But Central Coast Council's Scott Cox said residents were able to take steps to protect their homes.

"If residents with sound advice, engineering advice, need to do works to save their own home, council won't be taking any action against them," he said.

A hazardous surf warning has been issued by the Bureau of Meteorology until midnight on Saturday for the Byron Coast, Coffs Coast, Macquarie Coast, Hunter Coast, Sydney Coast, Illawarra Coast, Batemans Coast and Eden Coast.

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State Emergency Service crews will be onsite today with council officers.

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