Newcastle's Merewether and Bar Beach coastline will need "significant intervention and investment" as the cost of managing the effects of climate change becomes a reality, the city's lord mayor says.
The NSW government has provided Newcastle City Council with $116,000 to plan how it can best protect the Bar Beach strip.
Residents have pleaded with all levels of government to take action to protect the city's beaches, as wild weather events batter the region's coastlines.
In recent years, Stockton has watched its beach erode at an alarming rate, while Newcastle's beaches have also been stripped of sand in the wake of large storms and turbulent tides.
Newcastle lord mayor Nuatali Nelmes said the council would use the funding to conduct a cost-benefit analysis and wider viability assessment, as it worked to develop a Coastal Management Program for the city's southern beaches.
"The cost of adapting and managing the effect of climate change and in particular coastal erosion is real," Cr Nelmes said.
"The coastline between Merewether and Bar Beach will need significant intervention and investment over the coming years to ensure our much-loved Bathers Way and beaches are protected."
The stretch of coast that's the focus of the grant runs from the southern tip of Merewether to the Bar Beach cliff line.
Minister for the Hunter Yasmin Catley said that particular stretch of coastline was one of the reasons people chose to live in Newcastle.
"They surf at Merewether, swim at Bar and Dixon and meet their friends for coffee on the strip. It's a jewel of the Hunter and for a lot of locals it's a lifestyle," Ms Catley said.
"This funding will help us protect it now and into the future so our kids and grandkids can enjoy it."
Environment and Climate Change Minister Penny Sharpe said the funding would allow Newcastle council to plan for the future.
"Preparing long-term management strategies for our special coastal environment helps ensure potential hazards are considered, and waterways and nearby land are cared for in an ecologically sustainable way," Ms Sharpe said.
Funding is provided at a two-to-one ratio, with the NSW government contributing $2 for every $1 provided by the council.
Coastal Management Programs identify coastal management issues such as erosion, degraded coastal habitats and improving the health of estuaries and wetlands, and actions needed to address the issues in a strategic and integrated way.
The NSW government has pledged $21 million to fix Stockton beach's erosion issue.
