Fed-up locals unable to enjoy a dip at iconic Sydney beach during a heatwave as construction drags on
Millions of heat-hit Sydneysiders are unable to cool off on their local beach as problems plague the construction of a new sea wall.
Shark Beach – known locally as Nielsen Park – in the Vaucluse in the east of the city has been closed for almost three years, much to the chagrin of locals.
The popular swimming spot was due to reopen at the end of November, but was recently moved to mid-December.
The beach has been off-limits since 2022, when remediation work began on the 160-metre-long sea wall after it was damaged by floods in 2016.
“The beach opening remains on schedule for mid-December 2024,” a spokesperson for the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service told the Daily Telegraph.
The spokesperson said there had been ‘several significant unforeseen delays’, including rain, thousands of tonnes of asbestos, redesigns and contract disputes.
However, recent photos of the beach have revealed that the sea wall is far from complete – meaning swimmers may have to wait until 2025 for a dip.
Woollahra Council deputy mayor Sean Carmichael said locals are frustrated that they cannot cool off on the beach under the current heatwave.
Residents are frustrated that the beach is unavailable as Sydney swelters under a heatwave (photo, seawall work at Nielsen Beach earlier this year)
The iconic Shark Beach – known locally as Nielsen Park at Vaucluse in Sydney’s eastern suburbs – will now open in mid-December (swimmers in Bondi are pictured)
‘The disappointment is enormous that construction is still continuing. “People would love to use this beach, but they can’t,” he said.
‘We all understand that these types of projects can be complicated and complex, with unexpected problems and persistent delays.
“But it doesn’t seem like the state government is brimming with enthusiasm and wants to get to grips with this issue, which is not that big at all.”
NSW Parks and Wildlife planned to replace the sea wall with a new barrier that would be reinforced to withstand the impact of strong wet weather and surf conditions.
But contract disputes, bad weather and the discovery of 3,600 tons of asbestos in the old wall extended construction and closed Nielsen Park.
The remediation work at Shark Beach also includes the installation of planters and the planting of mature trees to provide shade along the terrace and seating areas.
In September, NSW Environment Minister Penny Sharpe told ABC Radio Sydney that the popular swimming spot had taken too long to build.
‘I am one of many swimmers who are eagerly awaiting the completion of these works. This is a project I inherited and it has taken too long,” she said.