Coastal Processes

The Australian coastline is naturally unstable.  Human activity compounds this instability.  These issues are discussed in Documents 17 & 18.  These papers include focus questions for school groups.

Documents

To open a document, click on the title.

The local bugbear, the sand drift Describes a sand drift that inundated the Bar Beach hinterland in the 1860’s and took 20 years to remediate, and discusses what we can learn from it

The Unstable Coast Considers the Landcare implications of data on coastal instability at Merewether

Local native plants stabilise coastal dunes. When the Merewether dunes were covered in Bitou Bush, a South African saltbush, beach-side residents would find sand on the road in front of their houses. Since we cleared the Bitou and replanted native species in 2004-5 the road has been free of sand.

Coastal spinifex growing back after weed removal, July 2005 Luxurious growth of Coastal Spinifex on the dune near Merewether Surf Club, July 2005. The Spinifex spread naturally from a two metre square patch that had been boxed in by Bitou Bush until the site was cleared in 2003 and 2004. Native plants flourishing on Merewether dunes, May 2011 September 2007: The pink flowers of Coastal Pigface are a lovely sight in spring.