There has been much argument over what should happen to manage the erosion at Lake Cathie. In 2009 the council had 4 options left. Build groynes, planned retreat, beach nourishment or a revetment wall. The revetment wall was the peoples preferred option. The decision was made that a revetment wall will be built as well as beach nourishment. A revetment wall will last for 50 to 80 years with maintenance that could cost from $0 to $100,000 per year, depending on damage. There are some negative effects of the wall which include erosion on the edges of the wall and there will be less beach in front of the wall due to erosion and longshore drift. There are also social impacts of a revetment wall, like what it looks like, likely refraction and less usability. The planned retreat was the preferred option of the council and government. Planned retreat would have meant that the council and or state government would have bought back the 17 affected properties for a price determined by the governor.
