Newcastle council will consider a tender for the construction of a $5million buried seawall at the southern end of the existing Mitchell Street seawall in Stockton.
The structure will shield Stockton's coastline in the event of large swells, significantly reducing the chances of erosion.
The works will see the council's investment at Stockton since the adoption of its Coastal Management Plan in 2020 increase to $9.5 million. It has already committed $27.5 million to protecting Stockton Beach.
The buried protection structures and emergency works complement the state government's proposed mass sand nourishment on the beach.
City of Newcastle executive director of city infrastructure Joanne Rigby said the first of three proposed structures would consist of underground vertical concrete piles that extend from street level to 8.5 metres below ground. Once constructed, only the very top of the round beams will be visible at ground level.
"The design of the structure considers its ability to address erosion from storm events, as well as long-term beach recession. It also considers the requirement to protect public assets at high-risk," Ms Rigby said.
The council is waiting for the state government to finalise its role as outlined in its application for the recently awarded $6.2 million Coastal and Estuarine Risk Management Grant, which includes $4.7 million from the federal government and $1.5 million from City of Newcastle.
Meanwhile, the council has continued the work required to be able to receive and place sand on Stockton Beach and expects to have the placement designs and environmental approvals finalised in early 2023.
Liaison Group demands action from state government
Monday's Stockton Community Liaison Group meeting discussed the state government's commitment to project managing the work as outlined in its grant application to the federal government, which funds the delivery of sand for initial amenity nourishment at Stockton Beach.
It has also committed to additional investigations and approvals required for mass sand nourishment.
Stockton Community Liaison Group chairwoman Barbara Whitcher called on the government to commit to a solution as a matter of urgency.
"We supported the NSW Government's application on the understanding that they would undertake the project management of this important work, and that they would own the associated licences required to obtain sand for Stockton," Ms Whitcher said.
"At today's meeting, the community members were dismayed to hear of the lack of state government commitment and action, especially as we had been so hopeful when federal and City of Newcastle funding was announced at Stockton in recent months.
The Stockton community really need to see immediate action from the State Government to get sand back on our beach," said Ms Whitcher.
"The serious issue of erosion of the Stockton coastline will bring further anxiety when the east coast lows arrive, and we need all three levels of government to commit fully to addressing this issue in the immediate and longer term."
Mr Roberts previously expressed support for a government agency becoming the project's proponent.
Newcastle Lord Mayor Nuatali Nelmes said on Monday that her expectation remained that the government would take on the work.
"They have a number of options to do that," she said.
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