King Canute gets to his feet in the House of Representatives

The majority of residential and commercial development at Wooli is located along a narrow sand spit which separates the Wooli River from the Pacific Ocean. The sand spit has been actively subdivided and developed over the years, with a significant number of dwellings erected close to the beachfront. Approximately 90 dwellings, the public school, voluntary rescue and storage facility, public hall, playground and RSL cenotaph are located on land fronting the beach. Wooli Beach suffered severe storm damage in 1954 and 1974. Also, in the mid 1990’s and during the last few years, the frontal dune along Wooli Beach has been severely eroded leaving a high, steep escarpment along much of the beachfront. The escarpment has continued to recede during this time with successive ocean storms, in particular a recent storm event during late May 2009. [Wooli Beach/Village Review of Coastal Hazards Report]

I know I’m maligning the historical figure of Canute by playing to the error that he really did try to turn back the ocean, but that myth perfectly fits the Nationals Member for Cowper, Luke Hartsuyker who is trying to make political capital out of the woes of residents in the coastal village of Wooli on the NSW North Coast by promising the impossible.

This is his effort recorded in Hansard on 16 November 2010:

Another important issue I raise relates to the future of the village of Wooli in the Cowper electorate. Wooli is a small coastal community of a few hundred people, and it is confronting the challenges of sand erosion. After years of erosion, many houses are potentially under threat. The Clarence Valley Council has released a draft plan of management which proposes a progressive retreat from the site of the original village. The plan tables the option of allowing landowners in the foreshore area to swap properties for crown land near the Wooli sportsground. This proposal is causing grief in the Wooli community. I recently met with Bruce Bird from the Wooli Chamber of Commerce and Margy Hewetson to discuss their concerns. They highlighted to me how important it is that every effort be made to protect these threatened properties and retain the current village precinct.

If the draft plan is implemented, all land south of the Wooli Bowling Club could be sacrificed. That includes the Wooli Public School. As the residents explained to me, there are other options available which could protect properties in the area, and I believe it is incumbent on the council to thoroughly investigate all options. The residents are concerned that the erosion problem will not receive adequate attention, given the small size of the Wooli village. I believe that Wooli residents deserve treatment equal to that of other ratepayers in the area, which is why I welcome the opportunity to place this matter on record in the federal parliament. Wooli is a beautiful village, and the land is very valuable. All reasonable efforts must be made to protect the village from erosion into the future.

and this is what he said to the national media:

Mr Hartsuyker says he will not let people's homes fall into the ocean.

Will not let people’s homes fall into the ocean? How on earth does he expect to stop the relentless wave action erosion process and effects of storm surges, when at their basis are the increasing impacts of climate change?

Mr. Hartsuyker would be more believable if he had ever confronted his party and leader over the total lack of support for any legislative change which would effectively mitigate against global warming over time. According to Hartsuyker, his party’s lack of support is a win for regional Australia.

Elsewhere in the local media this wordy MP expressing dissatisfaction with the degree of hydraulic modelling applied to the problem – cheerfully ignoring Clarence Valley Council’s own commissioned 2010 Wooli Beach / Village Review of Coastal Hazards and the 2007 CSIRO study Projected Changes In Climatological Forcing For Coastal Erosion In NSW which specifically looked at modelling for Wooli.

The sad fact of the matter is that Wooli primarily built its houses on a thin strip of sand between two tidal bodies of water with predictable results.

Google Earth image of Wooli with a 1 metre predicted sea-level rise

From North Coast Voices in 2007: Clarence Valley Council admits there is little that can be done for property owners in the face of 'inevitable' coastal erosion