In the early hours of this morning, Northern Beaches Council was forced to mechanically open the Manly Lagoon channel to the ocean following significant overnight rainfall, and for Queenscliff Boardriders Club (QBC), it couldn’t have come sooner.
The club has spent months campaigning for the channel to be opened and redirected northward toward the cliffs, arguing it is the key to restoring sandbanks that once made Queenscliff and North Steyne world-class surf breaks. Over 420 people have signed their “Fix Our Sandbanks” petition to Council.
QBC President Tim Quinn says the surf at Queenscliff has been the worst in 40 years. The club’s theory is straightforward: recent lagoon openings have directed the channel further south, away from its natural course near the cliffs. This has deposited sand too close to shore rather than feeding the offshore banks that create rideable waves.
“There are no waves that are breaking past the shoreline, and that’s because there’s no sand getting deposited out the back,” QBC President Tim Quinn told Manly Observer while gesturing to the waves breaking just off the shore behind him.
“We don’t think we’ve had a lagoon put into the corner, into that rip for about ten months, and we probably haven’t had a proper wave out there because of that rip for about eight months.”
Tim says Boardrider events have been cancelled as a result, and the club worries the prolonged poor conditions could threaten its long-term viability.
However, there was pushback from Council as protocols state the channel is only fully opened to the ocean once the lagoon water level is 1.4m above mean sea level to prevent surrounding homes and businesses from being flooded; opening it below that level can mean that waves overwhelm the outgoing flow, restricting water movement and potentially affecting flood levels.
Then came a lucky break
The lagoon was dug open at 3.00am, the first opening since January, triggered by flooding risk rather than any deliberate management decision. The lagoon is mechanically opened three to six times a year to prevent surrounding homes and businesses from flooding, and can only be fully connected to the ocean once water levels reach 1.4 metres above mean sea level.
Two weeks ago, Council did move its pilot channel further north at QBC’s request, but stopped the trench about 20 metres short of the ocean. Council maintains that the direction and behaviour of the channel is not ultimately determined where they dig, but rather by natural factors, including swell, tides, sand volumes, storm surge and lagoon outflow rate.
After some back and forth with Council around protocol, QBC are satisfied with the result, claiming to already be seeing “perfect little waves” breaking in the corner.
“We’ve been taking photos all day… I hope it sticks and we keep it until the big swell next week,” Tim said.
The channel will remain open until it once again naturally closes. When asked whether they would like to see the lagoon opened up to the ocean more regularly, the club replied it would be best sticking to protocol and to enjoy the current result, now having a better understanding of the system’s environmental processes following discussions with Council yesterday.
Will this help the surf return?
Whether banks will be formed in more desirable surfing locations will evidently not be up to the lagoon channel, but the ocean swell, according to Swellnet meteorologist Craig Brokensha, himself a Northern Beaches surfer. He says the poor surf is part of a broader pattern along the eastern seaboard over the past six to eight months, a consequence of multiple extra-large swell events in 2025 stripping the coast of sand.
“Without swell activity to create rips and gutters, most beaches ended up with little to no deviation in the inshore bathymetry, resulting in straight, unsurfable closeouts even when surf arrived. It’s not an isolated problem,” he said.
Brokensha believes relocating the lagoon entrance north would play a role in rebuilding a surfable bank out the back, but that the primary driver is sand movement from persistent swell, something that autumn conditions are already beginning to restore almost instantaneously.
A seat at the table
Over 420 people have signed a petition made by Queenscliff Boardriders Club urging Northern Beaches Council to “Fix our Sandbanks,” by opening up the channel. It further calls for local voices to be acknowledged and for the area to be once again worthy of its World Surf Reserve title.
“Surfers voices need to be heard. We contribute massively to the economy but are sadly ignored by government,” wrote one voter, Carl.
“We should not underestimate the value of an organisation like Queenscliff Boardriders. It brings together hundreds of people to share in a healthy activity, creating social cohesion. Councils should realise this and jump at supporting what is really a simple request,” Greg, another beach local commented.
Beyond the immediate fix, QBC is pushing for something bigger: a formal role for surfers in coastal management decisions, believing passed down local knowledge to be important. Curl Curl Ward Councillor Joeline Hackman has backed the call, saying local surfers’ day-to-day knowledge of conditions is invaluable to good policy.
“It’s never been more important than to listen to the people who are in the surf all the time – our community’s surfers. I want to thank all the board rider clubs and other stakeholders I have been engaging with to improve our dune and coastal management. I want to hear from surfers, surf lifesavers, swimmers, local experts, so we can improve policy outcomes and coastal management on our beaches,” Cr Hackman told Manly Observer.
State member for Pittwater Jacqui Scruby is taking it further, travelling to Queensland to study the Gold Coast’s sand replenishment program and meet stakeholders around the Tweed River, a waterway whose management has long been held up as a model for protecting surf breaks. She argues surfers bring irreplaceable citizen science to coastal policy discussions, and that State and Federal governments should be funding coastal management rather than leaving it to local councils.
“Surfers need to have a seat at the table for two reasons. Firstly, citizen science – whether it’s shark sightings or how beaches are impacted by erosion, surfers have knowledge of the ocean that is often missing in policy discussions. Secondly – surfing itself and preservation or enhancement of wave formation – needs to be a recognised desired outcome that is considered, particularly with issues like sea walls,” she said.
For QBC, the lagoon opening this morning is a start. Whether it marks a genuine turning point for the surf, or just a brief respite, will become clearer in the weeks ahead.
