The Port of Newcastle and the coal industry would be required to contribute to an environmental levy that would pay for the restoration and maintenance of Stockton Beach if the Greens hold the balance of power following the March state election.
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The levy would be placed on the export of each tonne of coal.
The size of the levy is yet to be determined but it could potentially raise ten of millions of dollars annually given that an average of 160 million tonnes of coal has been exported annually through the port over the past decade.
Greens Upper House MP Sue Higginson said the levy reflected the impact of the Stockton breakwall on erosion along the southern end of the beach.
"We know the state government has to step up on this issue but we also know the very important infrastructure around the port is one of the major contributors to this situation," she said.
"There is an enormous amount of money being made from the export of coal through this port. Levies are an effective and accepted way of paying for public infrastructure.
"The money (to restore the beach) should come from where the harm has been caused."
Greens candidate for Newcastle John MacKenzie, who is also a Newcastle councillor, said the funding would primarily be spent on ongoing sand renourishment via offshore dredging.
"We now have consensus that the main solution to this issue is to be found through mass renourishment," he said.
"It's taken a long time and the community and the council has jumped through a lot of hoops to get the plan approved by the state government. That was more than two and a half years ago and since then we have seen absolutely nothing."
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Meanwhile, State Labor is under pressure to announce its policy on Stockton.
"The community's anger over the lack of action over the past two years is white hot," Dr MacKenzie said.
"They don't understand why the state government has failed to deliver a plan it approved and they don't understand why the Labor Opposition is not stepping up."
A Port of Newcastle spokesman said the port was an active member of the Deputy Premier's Stockton Beach Taskforce, which was established to develop long-term solutions to the erosion issues facing Stockton Beach.
"As lease holder of the Port, the Port of Newcastle has ongoing engagement with the NSW Government and Newcastle City Council, who are the primary authorities responsible for the Coastal Management Program," he said.
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Matthew Kelly
Matthew Kelly has worked as a journalist for more than 25 years. He has been working as a general reporter at the Newcastle Herald since 2018. In recent years he has reported on subjects including environment, energy, water security, manufacturing and higher education. He has previously covered issues including the health and environmental impacts of uncovered coal wagons in the Hunter Valley, the pollution of legacy of former industrial sites and freedom of information issues.
Matthew Kelly has worked as a journalist for more than 25 years. He has been working as a general reporter at the Newcastle Herald since 2018. In recent years he has reported on subjects including environment, energy, water security, manufacturing and higher education. He has previously covered issues including the health and environmental impacts of uncovered coal wagons in the Hunter Valley, the pollution of legacy of former industrial sites and freedom of information issues.
