news, local-news, stockton, erosion, beach, #savestocktonbeach, lucas gresham
LUCAS Gresham's three passions are his family, good times and the beach, in a way that seems characteristic of Stockton, they often add up to one. The fifth-generation local has spent his whole life surfing and competing in nippers on Stockton beach. "To be honest it makes me feel lost that it's not there like it has always been, it has been my anchor," he said. "The beach is all I knew growing up, we're ocean people in Stockton. "What's happened to the beach hasn't just affected me, but it's having an impact on my kids as well." The Dowling Real Estate Stockton owner was responsible for a drone video showing the devastation of Stockton beach due to erosion that went viral this week. The footage shows the beach ravaged by decades of erosion and completely unusable. In five hours this week, a section of the beach lost 2.5 metres in sand height. The most severe erosion in 20 years. City of Newcastle has closed the beach and urged residents to steer clear of sheer drops created by extensive scarping along the coastline. Mr Gresham said residents were fed up with the problem being put in the too hard basket by authorities. "This is not a new problem, but the beach is the worst it's ever been and we can't afford to wait," he said. City of Newcastle is working on a Coastal Management Program that will identify a long-term plan to tackle the erosion, but it is likely years off being finalised and implemented. In an effort to raise awareness of the crisis, Mr Gresham launched a social media campaign on Friday asking people to make a short video saying "I am the face of change" and tag it #SaveStocktonBeach. He also started a GoFundMe campaign this week to investigate legal action to find a solution for the beach. It raised more than $12,000 in two days. Not stopping there, a community meeting has been organised for Thursday, September 26, at Stockton Surf Life Saving Club starting at 5pm. Mr Gresham said he hoped residents could help identify a way forward that would result in action. "I'm certainly not the expert here, but we need to identify people who can help," he said. Every morning the young father used to take his children to the beach before work, but now it's impossible. "My kids don't understand why we can't get up and go to the beach every morning," he said. "It's completely changed our lives and the lives of everyone in Stockton and we all want to see something change. It has to, we have already lost too much." People concerned about the future of Stockton beach are asked to meet at the King St entrance to the beach, near the breakwater, on Sunday, September 22, at 10am for a community photo.
FED UP: Stockton businessman Lucas Gresham has started a series of community campaigns to raise awareness of the dire plight of Stockton beach.
LUCAS Gresham's three passions are his family, good times and the beach, in a way that seems characteristic of Stockton, they often add up to one.
The fifth-generation local has spent his whole life surfing and competing in nippers on Stockton beach.
"To be honest it makes me feel lost that it's not there like it has always been, it has been my anchor," he said.
"The beach is all I knew growing up, we're ocean people in Stockton.
"What's happened to the beach hasn't just affected me, but it's having an impact on my kids as well."
The Dowling Real Estate Stockton owner was responsible for a drone video showing the devastation of Stockton beach due to erosion that went viral this week.
The footage shows the beach ravaged by decades of erosion and completely unusable.
In five hours this week, a section of the beach lost 2.5 metres in sand height. The most severe erosion in 20 years.
City of Newcastle has closed the beach and urged residents to steer clear of sheer drops created by extensive scarping along the coastline.
Mr Gresham said residents were fed up with the problem being put in the too hard basket by authorities.
"This is not a new problem, but the beach is the worst it's ever been and we can't afford to wait," he said.
Save Stockton Beach by Lucas Gresham
City of Newcastle is working on a Coastal Management Program that will identify a long-term plan to tackle the erosion, but it is likely years off being finalised and implemented.
In an effort to raise awareness of the crisis, Mr Gresham launched a social media campaign on Friday asking people to make a short video saying "I am the face of change" and tag it #SaveStocktonBeach.
He also started a GoFundMe campaign this week to investigate legal action to find a solution for the beach. It raised more than $12,000 in two days.
Not stopping there, a community meeting has been organised for Thursday, September 26, at Stockton Surf Life Saving Club starting at 5pm.
Mr Gresham said he hoped residents could help identify a way forward that would result in action.
"I'm certainly not the expert here, but we need to identify people who can help," he said.
Every morning the young father used to take his children to the beach before work, but now it's impossible.
"My kids don't understand why we can't get up and go to the beach every morning," he said.
"It's completely changed our lives and the lives of everyone in Stockton and we all want to see something change. It has to, we have already lost too much."
People concerned about the future of Stockton beach are asked to meet at the King St entrance to the beach, near the breakwater, on Sunday, September 22, at 10am for a community photo.
