Risk of falling rock closes Coast beach

A LARGE section of south Miami beach near an overhanging cliff is being closed off until the end of the year – and potentially longer – due to dangerous rock falls.

Geotechnical engineers have inspected the rock underneath Mick Schamburg lookout and identified it as a risk, prompting Gold Coast City Council to act.

The council announced yesterday a 520 sqm area of beach surrounding the rock would be closed until the end of the year until properly evaluated.

Area councillor Pauline Young said the engineers investigated the site after residents and maintenance workers advised her about the falling rocks.

“Our number one priority is safety so we are looking at putting some water barriers there until further investigations comes back to us,” she said.

“I don’t believe it could be a permanent barrier but it could be a permanent exclusion zone.”

Water barriers will be installed in the area until geotechnicians figure out an alternative but council has reported the zone is likely to be permanent. “At this stage the barriers aren’t up but when they are up we encourage people to stay outside that exclusion zone until we decide how we are best going to treat the rock face,” Cr Young said.

“We have wind, rain, storms, tidal changes … it’s just progression.

“This is a natural rock face and it’s exposed to the weather continually so we would expect some deterioration.

“When the full reports are back we will know the extent of the zone.

“Safety is our number one priority and is why we have acted on this so quickly.”

Clear Island Water residents Patrick, 76, and Peggy Ford, 77, have been visiting the popular area almost every day for the last couple of weeks.

They are happy council are concerned with safety but worried about the appearance of the rock once a permanent barrier is under construction to make it safe.

“Depending on what they chose to do up there could really ruin it,” Mr Ford said.

“(520sqm) is a lot. Even if they built some kind of barrier around it to stop being from getting in, people will still get in.”

Depending on what is chosen to secure the rocks from falling, Mrs Ford is hoping they will do some landscaping to cover it.

“I wouldn’t want my family walking around there if it’s dangerous,” Mrs Ford said.

“I hope if they put up netting they will make do some planting like they have at other places where rocks fall, like at Greenmount.”

Signage will be put up around the area to alert the public of the zone.

It comes four years after council was forced to spend $1 million to fix unstable rocks at Miami’s Lions Head Park and Greenmount Hill.