Overview

• Lancelin has lost over 25 metres of coastline since 2020, including six metres in the past three months, threatening key infrastructure like the Lancelin Sands Hotel and marine rescue centre.
• Western Australia has allocated $20.6 million since 2020 and committed an additional $33.6 million through 2026 to address erosion, with Department of Transport engineers set to inspect the site soon.
• A 2019 coastal hazard adaptation plan recommended managed retreat and asset relocation due to high flood and erosion risks, but local backlash has delayed implementation.
• Proposals to limit four-wheel-drive access to primary dunes and concerns over sand mining's impact have divided the community, complicating efforts to protect the area.
• Experts warn that hard infrastructure solutions like seawalls may be costly and unsustainable, suggesting managed retreat as the most viable long-term strategy.