The Lauderdale king-hit

THE developer of the much debated canal housing scheme for Ralphs Bay has walked away, but is that the end of the matter? While attention was focused on the environmental values of the bay next to Lauderdale, another matter was allowed to sleep that will determine the future of the area, one way or other.

From time to time Lauderdale is assaulted by Nature in dramatic fashion. In recent weeks gale force winds ripped across the bay into Lauderdale, pushing the wetland closer to the road and in one location, driving sand onto the road. In the late 1980s ocean surges breached the beach and flooded part of the suburb. A rock wall on the beach can now be seen where this happened.

At present the dunes of Roches Beach are being steadily eaten away by the ocean. In past decades the dunes have reformed, but now this is not happening and the beach is steadily moving toward the houses. This problem has been identified in the past, when in 1988 a State Government study was made entitled ‘Report on Coast Protection — Roches Beach’, it was recommended that the beach be armoured against erosion with rock or shaped blocks.

The fact is, Lauderdale can be hit by a double hammer-blow, from the bay and the ocean and it is only a matter of time before this happens again. A storm at sea can cause excess floodwaters to flow down the river, that may not escape so fast because of the storm and if this converges with a king tide and gale force winds across Ralphs Bay, Lauderdale can experience a serious flooding event. The storm could also cause tidal surges that result in the ocean flooding over the dunes into Lauderdale.

With climate change leading to warmer waters around Tasmania, fiercer storm events and stronger winds are being predicted and this will increase the damage from coastal storms. Add to this environmental cocktail the rise in sea level and the forecast for Lauderdale starts to look particularly grim, but what can we do about it?

Emergency plan for Lauderdale

Should there be an emergency plan for Lauderdale, which all residents are aware of, that provides direction in the event of a major flooding event from Ralphs Bay and the ocean? Like New Orleans, it must be wondered if Lauderdale at sea level is a disaster just waiting to happen.

One option, put forward by Chris Sharples in the media, is to withdraw from locations at risk. If that is an option for Lauderdale, there would need to be clear direction, along with compensation, from the Federal and State Governments. To date only silence has come down from on high.

A second option is to do nothing and wait for the next storm event to hit Lauderdale, which is what appears to be the case at present. The local council is attempting to deal with the problem, by finding a way to protect the dunes along the beach.

In a recent meeting with local residents on Roches Beach, Senator Christine Milne was able to see for herself the steady loss of sand from the dunes. The Senator suggested that residents inspect their insurance policies and obtain legal advice about being allowed to develop in a location of known risk.

A third option exists, which may very well happen if no other plan is in place. This could happen after the next tidal flooding event in Lauderdale, causing an unexpected reaction. Rather than retreat from the shore, the mood may swing into staying put, armouring the beach and raising the land level of Lauderdale. If such major and hugely expensive works were undertaken, a by-product could be the development of canals and marinas, turning Lauderdale into an Antipode an Venice.