The big waves have shattered a popular Sydney beach and forced a desperate rescue mission at midnight.
A series of massive waves have eaten badly on the beaches of southern Sydney and forced a local council to remove a crucial viewpoint overnight.
The North Cronulla lifeguard tower has been lifted from its precarious perch on the edge of a severely compromised stretch of beach, unstable by especially strong coastal waters over the weekend.
A crane hired by the Sutherland Shire Council lifted the structure from the edge of a heavy fall Monday night while a large crowd watched.
The move was accompanied by a warning from the council that caution would be needed, and perhaps alternative routes, if residents and visitors had designs to access Bate Bay beaches after weeks of bad weather.
“The Council continues to assess the damage caused to the North Cronulla dike, and a work plan is being drawn up to carry out the urgent reinforcement of the dike, which is expected to begin in a few days,” a council spokeswoman said. .
Access to the adjacent section of The Esplanade will be restricted while construction is underway.
Several access roads to the beach also remain closed for reasons of public safety.
Ocean waves had eased a bit on Wednesday, but the council said it would continue to monitor weather and surfing conditions to assess when work can be done to replace the sand on Bate Bay’s busiest beaches. .
The City Council also told people it would maintain regular surveillance of its beaches.
“The Sutherland Shire Council wants to assure beach visitors that the removal of this tower will not harm the safety of the beach,” a council spokeswoman said.
“City council lifeguards will maintain the same level of visual surveillance that would normally be provided during the winter months from Coastalwatch surf cameras installed on Council-patrolled beaches.”
Recent rain and big waves have left many Sydney beaches heavily eroded and with exposed rocks, such as Coogee and Maroubra.
The Bureau of Meteorology says there is currently a high over the Australian High and will work with a wide area of low pressure off the NSW coast to increase southerly winds in coastal waters on Wednesday and Thursday.
There is a gale warning in large parts of the NSW coast for Wednesday and Thursday, including the Sydney and Illawarra regions.
Wednesday mornings were expected to be 1 to 2 meters, rising to 2 or 3 meters during the afternoon.
The swell is expected to intensify on Thursday with seas of 2.5 to 4 meters.
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