Despite the urgency, Charles Sturt Council rejected a State Government offer to help pay for a protective rock wall in front of the iconic cafe after a report blamed “inadequate sand nourishment” along with “an increasing number and intensity of storm events” for leaving the toe of the sea wall dangerously exposed.

This is “creating a high risk of damage to the toe and the potential collapse of the sea wall if the toe of the wall is damaged or lost”, the report tabled this week said, adding that the wall and cafe are particularly vulnerable to damaging waves during winter storms.

“If undermining continues to occur, the toe of the sea wall may fail resulting in damage to assets immediately behind the sea wall,” the report delivered by the council’s recreation, open space and environment coordinator Kelly Mader said.

Councillors rejected an Environment and Water Department (DEW) offer to pay 70 per cent of the up to $250,000 cost in building the rock wall in front of the kiosk. Henley ward councillor and resident Kenzie van den Nieuwelaar said later that a failure to manage sand on the beach was causing the problem and it was a state government responsibility.

“The rocks are not a substitute for sand, the problems we are seeing are caused by a lack of sand and a lack of sand management,” she said.

“It’s called Henley Beach, not Henley Rocks.”

Sand erosion is putting a sea wall at Joe’s Kiosk in Henley Beach at risk. Photo: Brett Hartwig/InDaily

Other coastal walls and buildings in “hotspots” along city beaches are also being increasingly exposed, the report said, with sand being depleted as a State Government review of Adelaide’s metropolitan coastline continues.

“Whilst this review is underway any significant improvement in the management of the beaches from West Beach to Largs Bay is on hold,” the report said.

“We are now seeing the deterioration of assets in particular hotspots.”

The report said effective beach and coastline management is a state government responsibility but “due to the lack of effective management of the beach system in this section of the coastline” protective action is now “becoming critical” and had “placed the vertical sea wall at Joe’s Kiosk at risk”.

Acting chief executive Ben Bruce said in a letter to council that the rock work would provide a short-term protection plan, and that “the department is keen to partner with the council to minimise risks associated with further exposure and subsequent erosion”.

“Council has previously requested additional sand to raise beach levels for that purpose, however the department is not currently in a position to provide sand for mass replenishment at Henley Beach while the independent review of Adelaide beach management is conducted,” he said.

“As previously advised, it is continuing to provide sand from external sources to maintain beaches from West Beach northwards and will manage erosion ‘hot spots’ as needed.”

DEW estimates the rock wall will cost $108,415 but the figure is disputed in the council report, with estimates “more likely to be in the vicinity of $200,000 to $250,000”.

Truckloads of sand have been dumped at Henley Beach and West Beach as part of an almost $5 million replenishment plan this year, after stairways were closed and protests staged over the large amount of sand that has washed away at the popular coastal spots.

The sand nourishment program has happened while the state government conducts a 12-month Adelaide Beach Management Review that will be completed at the end of 2023 – overseen by the Attorney General after Deputy Premier Susan Close excused herself from the process.

It was a state government election commitment to axe the former Liberal government plan to install an underground pipeline to move sand drift from the northern beaches back to Henley and West Beach.

Sand erosion at Joe’s kiosk at Henley Beach. Photo: Brett Hartwig/InDaily

Department for Environment and Water Coast and Marine manager Murray Townsend said the condition of the coast, including this location, was regularly monitored particularly after winter storms.

“An engineering solution proposed by the Department for Environment and Water to Charles Sturt Council was to continue the seawall south of the building to in front of Joe’s Kiosk,” Townsend said.

“This would have provided short and medium-term protection and extended the life of the building in this vulnerable location.

“The department agreed to pay for 70 per cent of the estimated $108,415 construction cost to progress this project and the council declined this offer.”