Sydney suburbs among NSW’s top locations to be impacted by coastal erosion now, and in the future

From the Harbour to the Hunter, the Northern Beaches to the Northern Rivers, the New South Wales suburbs most impacted by coastal erosion have been revealed, along with the 20 locations to be worst affected in the future.

The list comes as New South Wales homebuyers are the first in the country to access insights from a new tool which analyses coastal erosion, flooding, and bushfire data to rank suburbs most at risk, not only today, but also in 30 years’ time.

Sydney’s Cronulla, Palm Beach, Burraneer, Watsons Bay and Maianbar were all listed as locations currently impacted or expected to be by coastal erosion, according to Groundsure ClimateIndex™ reports, available through InfoTrack.

Cronulla, Port Stephens, Palm Beach, and Yamba all making the top five on both lists as well as some of the country’s most expensive real estate in eastern Sydney’s Vaucluse and the North Coast’s Byron Bay also at risk.

Eight locations aren’t listed as being impacted now but are deemed to be among the State’s most at-risk addresses within three decades, including Wamberal, Old Bar, Batemans Bay, Sandringham, North Arm Cove, Corlette, North Shore, and Booker Bay.

A Groundsure ClimateIndex™ report for a beachside address in the Central Coast suburb of Wamberal states: “Multi-million dollar beachfront homes sit on a cliff which is eroding at a rate of over 1 metre per year. Sea level rise, increased storms and the effects from powerful future El Nino/La Nina events could all accelerate the demise of some seriously expensive investments.”

Groundsure CEO Dan Montagnani said while he didn’t predict the findings would impact property value in sought-after coastal locations, it’s important homeowners and prospective buyers are aware of risks to best plan for the future.

“Climate change is already considered a Tier 1 risk by lenders on the impact to investment and value, and homeowners in some affected locations are already living with the consequences through higher insurance premiums,” Mr Montagnani said.

As the trend to a more rapidly warming climate continues, the sad reality is that homebuyers in some vulnerable locations will not be able to secure a full loan or insurance cover. It’s also hoped the reports will encourage impacted communities to consider infrastructure to improve their resilience.

InfoTrack Global Head of Property John Ahern said the Groundsure reports are unique in that they provide property-specific assessments for individual residences, instead of broad regional ratings.

“They are specifically designed for property lawyers and conveyancers to do their due diligence and better inform buyers,” Mr Ahern said.

“Until now, climate change has not been front of mind, but a new generation of homebuyers is demanding insight on risks, to consider the potential long-term impact for their families and financial security. Homebuyers have a right to know what could lie ahead as they make the most expensive financial decision of their lives.”