Rachel Hagan, Yorke Peninsula Country Times

Yorke Peninsula Council is about to undertake almost $100,000 worth of emergency works to address erosion at Mud Alley in Foul Bay.

Over the past 40 years, coastal erosion has gradually worn away the beachfront, leaving properties vulnerable to flooding during severe weather events.

At the most recent YPC meeting on October 9, elected members voted to increase the capital works budget by $97,350 for an emergency solution while a more permanent fix was developed.

Mud Alley Residents’ Association chair Rob Bushell said he was satisfied with the decision, having been assured the emergency works would start within the next few weeks.

“It will be another temporary sandbag wall, but the fact it is being incorporated into a permanent fixture down the track is very positive,” Mr Bushell said.

“They will also be building up the road, which will give us another buffer zone.”

Mr Bushell, who has been working to combat erosion since 2018 by building up dune vegetation in front of his property, is eager to assist in stretching the emergency funding further. His efforts have already helped stabilise the sand and mitigate some erosion.

A study by Integrated Coasts highlighted the erosion threat, showing that the loss of adjacent sand dunes would leave Mud Alley more susceptible to regular flooding.

The modelling revealed that severe weather events, like those in 2016 and 2021, would have pushed seawater well past the properties if the dunes had been completely eroded.

In 2022, YPC installed about 90 sandbags as an emergency fix, but recent storms in August and September shifted both the bags and a portion of Mud Alley road.

For the long term, YPC is considering raising the height of Mud Alley from 1.70m to 2.20m Australian Height Datum.

However, the report warned that, if sea levels rise as projected, Foul Bay may not be sustainable in its current form in the second half of the century. 

This article appeared in Yorke Peninsula Country Times, 22 October 2024.