Perceptions of Different Groups
The fantastic Gold Coast Coastline attracts many visitors each year for its nice beaches and amazing waves. But the coastal management triggers many different opinions and perceptions for different people. For example "Nobby Beach resident Leonie Conn said she had watched metres of beachfront dunes disappear in the past three years, with waves continuing to edge closer, stripping sand around her rock wall, leaving huge scarps and a sheer drop to the water." - this quote from The Daily Telegraph Newspaper tells us that her home is at danger as erosion is slowly taking away the beach in front of her house. While living in a luxurious house overlooking the beach may be very aesthetically pleasing, it can also be very dangerous as it means that your home may be at danger as the waves bring the ocean closer to your doorstep.
Companies such as Sibelco see this as a major issue as, the banning of sand mining by the government could lead to the of many jobs and possibly the downfall of this company. After beginning Sand Mining back in 1949 on North Strandbroke Island just a bit North of the main Gold Coast Coastline, many companies like Consolidated Rutile Limited (CRL) have been forced to stop operations. This has created many arguments between the government and the businesses. They believe and perceive it as a major disadvantage.
Environmentalists believe that the Gold Coast is at risk of losing its famous beaches. They saw it as very destructive to continue with sand mining and so put forward a petition to stop it which was accepted. Environmentalists also believe that another major issue is the continuous effect of erosion and they believe that the government need to create a new line of defence to protect the coastline and those living on it.