Cooks Hill Surf Life Saving Club president Michael Clancy has welcomed moves to further repair and improve accessibility at Bar Beach.
It comes off the back of City of Newcastle putting out a call for tender for the next stage of rehabilitation works at the popular coastal beach.
The stretch of beach and the Cooks Hills Surf Lifesaving Club suffered significant damage from huge swells in April 2022.
Since then, a stage program of works has been delivered to ensure minimal disruption to beachgoers.
Emergency works at Bar Beach were initially undertaken following the storm to enable use of the club house and facilities, and provide temporary vehicular access to the beach.
Further work was carried out in 2023, including the construction of a temporary beach access ramp and upgraded balustrade fencing to replace temporary water-filled barriers.
Clancy said the ongoing remediation and enhancements are welcomed by the local community.
“Cooks Hill Surf Club and the extended community that we serve are looking forward to seeing the work underway in coming months, to continue remediation works and improve beach access for all,” he stated.
The next phase will focus on the southern end of the promenade adjoining Cooks Hills Surf Life Saving Club, including the reinstatement of a vehicle access ramp from Memorial Drive to the beach, and new stairs to enhance pedestrian access to the sand.
A wave deflector wall topped with a new walkway and handrail will be constructed to help protect the surf club and provide pedestrian access across the front of the building.
“City of Newcastle is committed to ensuring all members of our community and visitors can continue to access Bar Beach, while delivering improvements to our valuable recreational areas,” City of Newcastle executive director city infrastructure Clint Thomson said.
“We worked with Cooks Hill Surf Life Saving Club to schedule the work outside of the busy summer season, with construction expected to commence mid-year following a tender process.”
City of Newcastle has received $1 million in funding from the Australian and New South Wales governments under the Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements.