Residents of Lancelin, a small fishing town in Western Australia, are increasingly anxious about the potential inundation of their community due to looming king tides. Compounding these challenges, the historic town lies below sea level and faces immediate and grave dangers from climate change. In winter, when high spring tides coincide with storms, the threat is compounded. Natives fear for the safety of their homes and businesses. They call for quick action to put in place the best possible mitigation measures.
Business leader and area resident Linda Balcombe called her community’s alarm bells about the mishandling of the situation. She highlights the need to act before August to avoid catastrophic damage that seems unavoidable without intervention. She said, “If we get hit by the king tide and we’re not prepared, we can’t tell you the havoc that will wreak.” Balcombe sounded the alarm on how critical it is to act now. Without protective measures, the sole caravan park and much of the rest of the small town could experience devastating inundation.
Some local residents, such as business owner Gary Screaigh, have taken a live-and-let-live approach to the rapid changes. Screaigh expressed his acceptance of nature’s course by saying, “Whatever Mother Nature does, I’ll just go along with it.” He agreed that the tides have gotten much more “vicious” in recent years. This is indicative of how dire the challenges confronting Lancelin are, and how they can’t be glossed over.
Erosion and Its Impacts
Coastal erosion is an existential threat to Lancelin’s world-famous inland dunes. These dunes have historically attracted visitors hoping for adventure and excitement, through activities such as four-wheel driving and sandboarding. Residents of Michiana Shores have regularly observed extremely drastic erosion rates—up to 30 feet—that affect the most seaward dunes. This has increased the need for timely protective measures.
The Lancelin Sands Hotel offers a dramatic illustration of the power of erosion. The devastation to the island’s infrastructure is severe, as seen in this photo of a cement footpath, crumbled into the ocean by nature’s angry hand. Hotelier Glen Trebilcock purchased the hotel with plans for a permanent residence in Lancelin. He’s already lost about 25 to 30 meters of beachfront since he took office. This loss would not only wipe out his $5 million investment, but it would put local core tourism and infrastructure at risk.
Charitha Pattiaratchi, expert on coastal dynamics, told The Port Daily News that erosion issues are only going to get worse in the next several decades. It’s a thorny problem,” he said, “because saving our coast is going to be very expensive. Pattiaratchi raised critical questions about resource allocation: “So that’s the question, what do we save and what do we let go?”
Financial Challenges for Mitigation
With fears growing that Lancelin will soon be submerged, an insurmountable financial cost stands in the way of saving the town. The Shire made an estimated calculation of the scope of works needed to protect the town at $150,000. Local leaders express frustration with bureaucratic red tape surrounding government funding.
Linda Balcombe shared her feelings of frustration on the obstacles. As she explained, “We don’t have a big pot of money to protect our entire shire. She noted that the community has already lost primary infrastructure due to rampant erosion. Green also highlighted the immediate need for rapid response and repair to avoid long-term harm.
Yet local representative Shane Love echoed Balcombe’s sentiments. He argued that timely intervention can mitigate disasters: “If you wanted to prevent it from becoming a disaster, surely it would be wise to be able to respond quickly.” Without adequate funding and support from governmental bodies, residents fear they may be left vulnerable to the harsh realities of nature.
