A SEA wall designed from an interlocking matrix of concrete blocks could put an end to the coastal erosion nightmare unfolding at Jimmy's Beach, the creator of the technology believes.
Patrick Johnson, originally from South Africa, is promoting his sandCELL blocks to coastal councils and governments as a cheaper alternative to traditional erosion solutions.
The moulded 85-kilogram concrete blocks lock together similar to Lego to provide extra strength during heavy seas. It also requires less ongoing maintenance than rock walls.
He said the solution would be particularly relevant at Jimmy's Beach given the intense swells that hit the coastal erosion hot spot and the subsequent rapid loss of sand.
A section of the Boulevard was lost earlier this month due to a lack of protection from the 2 metre swell.
The road collapsed when water eroded sand behind the existing rock sausage.
"SandCell was especially designed to accrue sand at the back of the beach thereby combating erosion," Mr Johnson, who lives in Port Macquarie, said.
"It is eco and user friendly as well as being environmentally friendly. The blocks can be dyed to match the surrounding soils and the blocks can be planted with flora so as not to see the concrete wall."
Mr Johnson said independent testing at the Manly Hydraulic Laboratories showed the system was capable of withstanding a one in a hundred year erosion event.
The product has attracted attention in England, Fiji and Vanuatu while the US Navy is considering the product on a new base.
It has previously been used to build the Umdloti sea wall in Durban, South Africa. It stood firm devastating storms that destroyed most other protection works in the area.
Mid Coast has begun the task of dumping thousands of tonnes of sand back on Jimmy's Beach to replace what was recently lost.
In a statement, the council said it was not obligated to protect private land from coastal erosion. The responsibility largely falls with the property owner.
In the Jimmys Beach case the council had conducted sand renourishment along that stretch in accordance with the Jimmys Beach Coastal Zone Management Plan.
"The primary purpose being to protect publicly owned infrastructure being impacted and not as a result of the homes located on the peninsula," the statement said.
"Council will continue implementing the Coastal Zone Management Plan for the beach until management options are reconsidered as part of a new Coastal Management Program which Council is currently progressing. However, this does not guarantee that the area will be protected from future erosion events."
