NSW Labor will commit $21 million for mass sand nourishment to restore erosion-stricken Stockton beach if it wins the upcoming March election.
In a major breakthrough following a decades-long community campaign, the Newcastle Herald can reveal that NSW Labor leader Chris Minns' team will announce the election pledge in Stockton on Wednesday.
Labor says the funding will shore up the future of the tiny coastal town that has lost more than 10 million cubic metres of sand from it's beach and seen the seabed drop seven metres due to erosion, threatening homes, infrastructure and community assets.
The move marks a shift in the traditional strategy of major political parties commiting millions in funding to marginal seats in a bid to woo voters in the lead-up to the polls.
Newcastle Labor MP Tim Crakanthorp, a long-time supporter of getting mass sand back on Stockton beach, increased his 7.4-point margin to 17.7 points at the 2019 election, and will be a monumental challenge to unseat at the March 25 poll.
The commitment would see a Labor government lead the project via a memorandum of understanding with City of Newcastle.
Public Works NSW would hold the required licences and approvals.
Mr Crakanthorp said residents had waited "long enough under a Liberal government", and Labor was committed to a genuine solution to fix the beach.
"Chris Minns and I promised the people of Stockton that we would present our commitment prior to the election and today we deliver on that promise," he said.
"For too long this project has been caught up in bureaucracy, but a NSW Labor government will see the talk stop and the work begin."
Shadow Local Government Minister Greg Warren said Labor would restore Stockton beach to its "former glory".
Mr Warren said the pledge was another example of how Labor would "deliver for the people of Newcastle".
"For far too long, this government has ignored the needs of Stockton," he said.
"A NSW Labor government will work with City of Newcastle to save our beaches being washed away, protect infrastructure and public and private properties."
The Newcastle Herald launched its Save Our Stockton community campaign in 2019, and has written more than 100 stories on the worsening problem, following decades of inaction by authorities.
It is now widely accepted that the crippling erosion is caused by the Newcastle harbour breakwaters, which are state assets, and progressive deepening of the shipping channel.
The breakwaters stop the drift of sand from south to north that used to bring about 41,000 cubic metres of sand annually to the beach, trapping it at Nobbys.
It's estimated that between 1.8 million and 4.5 million cubic metres of sand is needed to renourish Stockton beach from the breakwater to the Hunter Water land north of Corroba Oval.
To date, no funding has been secured to complete the project.
The CMP estimated $21 million was needed for an initial offshore sand nourishment program that would deliver 2.4 million cubic metres of sand, followed by maintenance every decade.
The Newcastle Herald reported last week that the yawning funding shortfall was the latest battleground between the City of Newcastle and the NSW Liberal government over where responsibility for the beach's ongoing restoration lies.
The state government and council have been at loggerheads for more than a year over plans to get sand back on the beach, resolved last week when Deputy Premier Paul Toole said Public Works NSW would lead an initial $6.2 milion sand renourishment project to source 300,000 cubic metres of sand from the harbour entrance to provide short-term relief to the shoreline recession.
NSW Labor says if it wins the election it will commit the $21 million needed for a long-term solution for the beach and work would begin after the existing project, which is being funding by a $4.7 million Federal Government grant and $1.5 million from City of Newcastle.
Labor plans to seek a contribution from the Port of Newcastle for the long-term solution and says the Stockton Beach Taskforce would meet regularly to ensure the project remains on track.
The taskforce was establish by the NSW Liberal government in March 2020.
"Getting sand back on Stockton Beach has been a long-time focus of mine, and I am thrilled to say that a Labor government will fix this," Mr Crakanthorp said.
"The Stockton community has waited long enough under this Liberal Government, and only NSW Labor will get it done."
The council has to date committed $27.5 million to respond to the immediate risks to Stockton's coastline in its 2020 Coastal Management Program with $9.5 million already invested.
The NSW government has provided $1.5 million for emergency sandbagging and beach nourishment. Another $1million was provided to undertake exploration for offshore sand sources.
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