The excitement
ANDREW POTTS, ALEXANDRA BERNARD AND BRIANNA MORRIS-GRANT
A FULL-scale mission to repair the Gold Coast’s beaches in the wake of ex-tropical cycyclone Oma is due to begin tomorrow.
The Gold Coast City Council is set to deploy trucks and machinery to fix the city’s battered beaches which have been heavily eroded by the significant swell.
The heavy swells and 20 to 30 knot winds hitting the Coast over the weekend are expected to settle today and tomorrow. Showers are expected during the week.
Winds were so high yesterday that the seaway was closed to the public with guards put on duty to prevent people from accessing the wall.
An unapologetic Mayor Tom Tate said the tourist destination was closed to protect people.
“We cannot risk having people on the seaway wall or rock walls as the gusts remain unpredictable,” he said.
“It is pointless having machinery on the beaches until Tuesday. By then, we should be able to access all beaches and clean up the scarping.
“Indications are that any sand lost in this event has been deposited out behind the main surf break. During the next six to 12 months it should return to the foreshore through normal ocean movements.”
The worst erosion was at Main Beach and Narrowneck, where council workers last week desperately worked to minimise damage to the area.
Beaches remained closed last night but this will be reassessed this morning.
Oma was downgraded to a tropical low-pressure system late on Saturday as it drifted into the South Pacific.
It is expected to change course days.
The council’s local disaster management unit remains on alert, with its status expected to be reassessed this morning.
Light showers are expected to fall on the Gold Coast this week after Oma brought no rainfall to the city.
Weather bureau meteorologist Michael Knepp said the small amount of rain in the last few days couldn’t be attributed to the cyclone.
“There’s been nothing from Oma, all the rain has come from offshore so there hasn’t really been much from there,” he said.
“Some places had 2mm, some places had 1mm, some places had none, it’s just a random scattering.”
The heavy swell also saw flooding in low-lying areas including Currumbin Surf Life Saving Club where cars were dragged across the carpark by the water. again JEREMY STURGES in the coming
But as experienced surfers tackled the bank at Snapper Rocks, a man was treated for severe head injuries after being swept onto the rocks.
Surf Life Saving Queensland Gold Coast duty officer Jeremy Sturges said clubbies had been kept busy with the large swells Oma had bought to the city.
“We’ve had eight incidents today on the Gold Coast ranging from surfers in distress to jet-skiers in distress, also windsurfers and obviously swimmers as well,” he said.
The Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast also saw five incidents after hours. Mr Sturges said beaches had been packed with people despite the warnings to avoid the water.
“There are a lot of surfers and a lot of jet skis as well on the open beaches,” he said.
“It is frustrating. We can only advise for people to stay out of the water and away from the water’s edge, however you’re going to get people who think they can cope with the conditions and they’re going to go out and that’s where they’re getting unstuck.
“It is a very dangerous, very fast moving and very powerful thing so stay clear.”
Mr Sturges said the powerful swells have not only endangered the lives of the public but also the life savers themselves who have been on patrol. “It is unsafe for our members, however if there’s someone out there we’ve got to reassess and go from there,” he said.
While beach closures will be reassessed today, Mr Sturges said there were no guarantees about when the Gold Coast’s beaches would be reopened.
WE’VE HAD EIGHT INCIDENTS TODAY ON THE GOLD COAST RANGING FROM SURFERS IN DISTRESS TO JET-SKIERS IN DISTRESS