The tide dropped low enough on Wednesday afternoon for Stockton's lifeguards to temporarily raise the flags for the first time this season.
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The four metre sliver of beach that could only be accessed via a pathway next to Lexie's Cafe provided a few hours of respite for locals who have been deprived of their beach in recent months.
But the favourable conditions are not expected to last.
Forecast heavy swells in coming days are expected to put the severely eroded beachfront under renewed pressure.
Ten days has past since Local Government Minister Shelley Hancock fast tracked $250,000 worth of funding to assist City of Newcastle manage the erosion crisis.
Work to date has included the demolition of the suburb's childcare centre last Friday and shoring-up heavily eroded key points along the foreshore.
There was also an agreement between the minister, the council and locals that sand would be trucked in to top-up the beach.
The emergency measure would at least allow the surf club's nippers program to get underway.
A City of Newcastle spokesman said on Tuesday that options for short-term sand nourishment were still under investigation.
Prominent local Lucas Gresham said the community was becoming frustrated that no action had been taken to replenish the beach more than a week after the minister's visit.
He suggested several locations, including Swansea Channel and a Honeysuckle development site where several thousand cubic metres of high quality sand had been extracted from recently, as possible sources of sand that could be used to rebuild the beach.
"I really can't see any justification for not putting some sand back on the beach," he said.
Mr Gresham recently used a drone to dramatically highlight the extent of the erosion along the suburb's foreshore.
In addition to going viral on social media, the 60 second video was also the catalyst for the #savestockton community campaign.
"People always hear about erosion but until they see it up-close it's had to appreciate it," Mr Gresham said.
He released a new video on Wednesday afternoon that shows the demolition of the childcare centre and more severe erosion.
It ends with a ship entering Newcastle harbour.
"As long as the boats keep coming in so will the money. But none of that money is being used to repair the destruction that the breakwall has caused in Stockton," Mr Gresham said.
"This was entirely foreseeable but the council and state government have sat back and watched the disaster unfold."
Deeper reading: Save Stockton Beach
- Former Stockton childcare centre demolished as part of works to secure foreshore
- Deputy Premier John Barilaro confirms all options are on the table for Stockton Beach
- Minister pledges to fast track City of Newcastle funding applications for Stockton
- Stockton residents unite in fight of their lives to revive the beach
- Shifting sands from offshore could save Stockton beach for as little as $5 million
- Our beach is broken and so are our hearts
- Watch the video: Relentless erosion closes Stockton beach
- Erosion wipes out Stockton's only childcare centre
- Community meeting told Stockton beach losing a metre a year
- Mission Australia's storm damaged Stockton early learning centre
- Childcare centre's future under cloud in erosion saga
- Childcare centre forced to close temporarily due to beach erosion threat
- Council back to drawing board over long-term solution for Stockton erosion
- Playground of Stockton's Mission Australia early learning centre set to be relocated as a result of erosion threat
- Fears childcare centre could crumble into the sea
- Stockton solution moves forward with meeting
- Garbage tip washing into the sea at Stockton
- State government handballs responsibility for Stockton beach
- 2017: Exposed mine shaft shows Stockton beach's erosion problem needs 'urgent' solution
- 2016: Newcastle lord mayor Nuatali Nelmes suggests 'underground breakwall'
- 2016: Worst erosion in memory leaves Stockton beach exposed to next storm
- 2014: Dangerous erosion on Stockton Beach
- 2013: Stockton beach erosion | photos, video
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