Budgewoi Beach Dunecare Inc

 

 




 

Budgewoi Beach Dunecare Site

Our site is located in Budgewoi which is on the Central Coast of NSW and is approximately 100 Km north of Sydney.

We have 3 individual work areas within our site:

 

Our main site and initial work area is defined as Stage 1

Stage 2 is a southern extension to our intial work area

Stage 3 is adjacent to our propogation area and was sponsored by Catchment Management Authority now LLS

 

Budgewoi Beach is categorised as a high energy open beach. The beach has had decades of degradation through mineral sand mining, sand extraction, dredging spoil placement, poor access, and residential development. As a result of this the foredune structure of Budgewoi Beach had become destabilised allowing wind-blown sand to advance inland leaving the frontal dune less able to withstand erosion and prone to sustained long-term retreat. This situation became the driver for Budgewoi Beach Dunecare Inc to commence hands-on dune restoration works partnering all tiers of Government and education, introducing proven and innovative designs and techniques, and ensuring effective maintenance programs.

 

Where We Are


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The Story of Sand Mining
In a paper presented by Brewer and Whelan, "Changes in dune vegetation over 60 years in a sand-mined area of the NSW lower North Coast" it is said that "Sand mining has been responsible for much of the degradation of the indigenous flora of sand dunes in New South Wales, to the extent that authentic foredune plant communities are now uncommon in much of NSW and southern Queensland. Dune heaths are very susceptible to invasion and infestation by the weed, bitou bush (Chrysanthemoides monilifera subsp. rotunda)"

Rutile Mining along Budgewoi Beach Rutile dredge mining operations commenced along Budgewoi Beach in 1966 and finished in 1973. For the floating rutile dredge to operate all vegetation was removed and dozers provided a trench for the dredging unit to float. Local coal mines provided coal, chitter for trucks to negotiate soft sand areas to collect rutile and truck it to port. The reshaping of the dune topography was carried out in the most economical way, ignoring the fragility of the coastal environment.

The hind dune areas were planted with tea tree (leptospermum laevigatum) using a brush matting method. The foredune area was planted out with bitou bush (Chrysanthemoides monilifera subsp. rotundata). This mining process and its subsequent rehabilitation threatened the entire natural biodiversity of our coastline and became the catalyst for volunteer communities to form Dunecare groups to restore the coastline and its natural biodiversity values.

Rutile Dredger