General News
19 February, 2025
$4.5m will make a splash at Karumba Point: mayor
Jack Bawden said minimising erosion along Karumba Point was essential to securing the tourism industry.
Carpentaria Shire mayor Jack Bawden says the $4.5 million in federal flood assistance funds announced last week would allow the council to complete its much-needed seawall project at Karumba Point.
Cr Bawden said the council had contributed funds alongside the federal government since 2020 to reach stage four of the wall construction, which is required to reduce erosion stress along the popular tourist spot, which includes the Sunset Tavern.
“If we didn’t do something to address the situation, we were going to lose the entire Karumba point,” he said.
“Every time a swell would start hammering that point, we would just lose another section to the sea.
“There has probably already been 30 or 40 metres of a street block that has been eroded away in the past 50 years or so, and it just kept going and going.
“We were definitely losing our suburbs to mother nature.”
Cr Bawden said minimising erosion along Karumba Point was essential to securing the tourism industry in the region.
“This is about keeping our tourist attractions intact – that is a very popular place for travellers to our area,” he told North West Weekly.
“The erosion has been an issue for a long time, so it is good we are going to be able to finish the seawall and keep that section of the community intact.
“We have a lot of projects on at the moment but with a bit of luck we can get through those projects with deadlines and hook in.”