Hayley Primmer & Seth Carter, Yanchep News Online

Foreshore erosion in Lancelin is becoming an increasing concern for the Shire of Gingin, with the Opposition warning ongoing changes to the coastline threaten the future of several businesses in the town, as well as the long-term safety of some residents’ homes.

Lancelin Sands Hotel owner Glen Trebilcock said he had lost 40m of land in 12 months due to Lancelin’s increasing coastal erosion.

When Yanchep News Online visited in mid-April the foreshore close to the hotel on North St was barricaded off by fencing and warning signs.

Mr Trebilcock said Australia Day last year was when the erosion started becoming increasingly noticeable.

“By Easter time, we were pretty much losing a metre-and-a-half a day, maybe two,’’ he said.

“That continued all the way up until August.”

Despite $150,000 worth of emergency funding spent on sand nourishment in July last year, as well as sand renourishment that started on April 7, Nationals leader and Mid West MLA Shane Love said that if nothing else was done some Lancelin residents faced dire consequences.

“We’re talking about people’s substantive structures and buildings, like the hotel, rows of houses, caravan parks, that are going to be flooded,’’ he said.

“There really isn’t a clear plan, anywhere in the state government, to combat coastal erosion.”

Mr Trebilcock said after four months and three noticeable tides, the sand had been washed away completely.

“I think we’ll be extremely lucky to get four months out of it this year,’’ he said.

“I think we’ll see (to) the end of June, to be honest, the way that it’s going, it’s already starting to eat away at the bottom of it.”

The Shire of Gingin conceded the most recent sand renourishment, primarily in front of the hotel, was a temporary measure while they tried to organise a longer-term solution.

Shire of Gingin President Linda Balcombe said they were doing everything they could but without more support from the state government it would be an uphill battle.

“My concern at the moment is that there’s erosion and we don’t know how to tackle that,’’ she said.

“It is probably a million-dollar question and I’m concerned for the community in Lancelin and the business owners.”

She said the state and federal governments being present to talk to businesses, as well as the shire, would be of benefit.

“We love the financial support of the government and we understand the delicacies of that, but I would really like the state and federal governments to come to a table with Glen and the other business owners, so we can all be on the same page.”

Lancelin North End Caravan Park owner Gary Screaigh, who has lived in Lancelin for 42 years, said people did not notice the erosion until very recently.

“Nobody was taking any notice of it, but then when it started to affect the lookout, that’s when people started to get upset over it,’’ he said.

The Lookout, a popular marriage proposal and sightseeing spot, was demolished in August last year as the structure was eaten away by erosion, rendering it completely unusable.

Mr Screaigh said some work had been done lately to keep the tides (at bay), but it was not a concrete plan.

“Don’t get me wrong, I don’t want to tell them they’re wasting their time, but they’re going to have to keep putting (sand) there unless the water levels change,’’ he said.

Mr Trebilcock understands the shire is doing the best it can but is going to take some action himself.

“We’ll be getting a plan done up and submitting it to the shire intended for the state government, because I think in turn that’s going to be a much more efficient and effective way of getting it done, rather than having the same conversation six months down the track,’’ he said.

In July last year, after the construction of a fresh dune at a 45-degree angle to the hotel and caravan park had been suggested as a solution, coastal oceanography professor Charitha Pattiaratchi told the ABC a sand dune would be a temporary fix, because Lancelin was built on an eroding coastline.

He said saving foreshore could cost a lot of money and in some places might not be cost effective.

This article appeared on Yanchep News Online on 30 April 2026.