Houses and units at two Sunshine Coast locations, plus Noosa, are ranked among the places most at risk of coastal exposure in Australia.
The findings, from a report prepared by property analysis firm CoreLogic, come as the Coast braces for the possible arrival of Tropical Cyclone Alfred and waves threaten to create a second breakthrough of Bribie Island.
Caloundra and Golden Beach were named by the report in the top 10 Australian suburbs at risk of coastal erosion, in terms of number of dwellings and property value.
In Caloundra, 20 homes and 523 apartments in 43 buildings, worth a total of $380.5 million, were rated at high risk. In Golden Beach, 100 homes and 295 apartments in 38 buildings totalling $340.6 million were at risk.
Noosa, along with Caloundra, Golden Beach and Hope Island and Runaway Bay on the Gold Coast, rounded off the top five Queensland locations at risk.
Eighty-four apartments in seven buildings, worth $291 million, were considered at risk in Noosa.
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The CoreLogic report was prepared two years ago, shortly after the Bribie Island breakthrough that has worried Golden Beach residents but which the state government has written off as a natural process.
The Pumicestone Passage Catchment Management Board says the CoreLogic report was even more serious for Caloundra and Golden Beach when they were looked at as one.
“Individually, the suburbs of Caloundra and Golden Beach were ranked eight and 10 nationally as having the highest number of buildings exposed to ‘very high risk’ of erosion and storm surge – the highest category in CoreLogic’s index,” PPCMB spokesperson Jen Kettleton-Butler said.
“But even more alarming is when added together, collectively Caloundra and Golden Beach would rank second across Australia, and first in Queensland, for the estimated number of dwellings at risk (937).
“Furthermore, Caloundra and Golden Beach together would rank second in Queensland on the estimated value of those properties at risk ($722m) in 2022.”
PPCMB president Ken Mewburn said the previous Labor state government had left the community vulnerable by allowing the risk of a Bribie Island breakthrough to go on for eight years and then writing off the 2022 breakthrough as “simply mother nature at work”.
Ms Kettleton-Butler said urgent action was needed to stabilise the bar and protect the community from storm tides.
“The cost of restoring the waterway and stabilising the bar is far, far cheaper than the cost of the devastation of thousands of homes and businesses,” she said.
“It is entirely possible and appropriate to use an effective and innovative engineered solution, sensitive to all the issues, including our once-pristine environment.
“And it also provides exciting opportunities for Caloundra to enhance the amenity offered to residents and visitors alike, while protecting important cultural heritage sites and our precious and unique ecosystem and waterway.”
Ms Kettleton-Butler said the state government and Sunshine Coast Council were listening. However, the PPCMB has called on decisive action from both to save Caloundra and Golden Beach.
