REDHEAD Surf Life Saving Club members say the local council has buried its head in the sand on a mounting issue caused by massive sand dunes at the beach.
Sand has swallowed the footpath forcing pedestrians onto the road, spilled into the showers and blanketed the area around the club as the dunes dominate the beach.
Volunteers at the surf club who spend at least 7000 hours each year patrolling the beach, including weekends and public holidays, are being dragged away from more important tasks to sweep up the mess.
Club member Matt Kent said Lake Macquarie council has not offered much more than a "band-aid fix".
"You can't even use the showers because there's a foot of sand in it," he said.
"The issue we have got is that they stabilised the dunes quite a few years ago, they reckon they were moving so they buried hay bales and now the sand builds up.
"It's a public safety issue."
Lake Macquarie council confirmed it had received 23 requests related to the issue in the last 12 months, some of those made by the same person.
A council spokesman said that it undertook dune reshaping works in June 2023, including the realignment of First Creek, and again in June this year.
"Like all beach environments, Redhead Beach is dynamic and sand movement will continue to occur in response to weather conditions," he said.
"Additional dune reshaping occurred last week following recent weather events and we will continue to monitor the situation.
"We also undertake regular beach surveys to monitor and manage sand movement."
Mr Kent said the sand had built up so high it was spilling over the retaining wall, the green silk fencing is bulging at the seams and the pickets that hold the fence up are buried.
He said the old timber slatted walkways that are chained together are half-hanging out of the sand.
"Over the last 10 to 15 years the dunes have gotten bigger and bigger, and they haven't maintained it so it's to the point where it's taking over," he said.
"You can't even walk down the walkway, you have to walk on the road.
"The council has said it is part of its maintenance schedule now but it's just a band-aid fix coming out every couple of months trying to sort it out."
A council spokesman said the movement of sand along the stretch of coast from Redhead to Blacksmiths is largely dependent on wind and swell and said the build up is most prevalent in southerly conditions.
"While the sand build-up does not pose immediate safety risks for beach-goers, significant weather events can cause major changes to our coast, and we regularly monitor and respond to these movements to ensure any changes that pose a safety risk are managed appropriately," he said.
Mr Kent said the whole sand dune needs to be flattened down by at least five metres.
"I just want it sorted, to get it fixed so it doesn't look like an eyesore," he said.
The council said it plans to draft a Redhead Dune Management Plan to look at long-term management options for the site in 2025.
