We all love Cable Beach, it’s one of the most popular beaches in Australia. Locals and tourists alike appreciate the natural state of the beach with a landscape largely unspoilt by development. A Broome study showed that pristine beaches are important for tourism. Last month Cable Beach took out the second spot for South Pacific beaches and ranked 11th on the world stage in the Travellers’ Choice Awards for 2022 from Tripadvisor.

Over the past few years the Shire of Broome has been planning to redevelop the foreshore area. In 2016 the Shire produced the Cable Beach Development Strategy. In the same year a Broome Townsite Coastal Vulnerability Study was undertaken and a Broome Townsite Coastal Hazard Risk Management and Adaptation Plan (CHRMAP) followed. These identified the risks of sea level rise resulting from climate change.

At this stage it is unclear how high the sea level will rise at Cable Beach and what the implications are for erosion. The Shire has been looking at several options for ‘protecting’ the coast along the foreshore. Fortunately, decisions to investigate an ‘exposed geotextile sand container revetment’ and buried sea wall have been overturned. Another option that the Shire is looking at is a rock sea wall along the section where the vehicle track enters the beach. Rock walls along the sea shore have a bad history and we don’t want past mistakes to be repeated here.

The Shire has an engineer working on a design right now and has provided an opportunity for EK members and supporters to come to an information session tomorrow.

The Targeted Information Session (Environment), 5.30pm on Wednesday 9 March, will be at the Shire offices.

If you have an interest in the future of Cable Beach please come along. Please RSVP Michaela Nutt at Shire of Broome and CC Martin Pritchard if you wish to attend. If you can’t attend in person, there is an opportunity to join via Microsoft Teams – a link will be sent out to interested people.