Erosion forces closure of Newcastle’s Lexie's on the Beach cafe
Lexie's on the Beach has been told it cannot operate out of its council-owned premises over safety fears following ongoing erosion at Stockton beach.
The City of Newcastle told the café it must close last Thursday as it could "no longer guarantee public safety".
Hopes that Lexie's on the Beach could reopen this week have not come to fruition, with café manager Vinny Sovechles telling about 25 staff members they no longer have a job.
According to City of Newcastle advice from coastal engineers suggested the building was within "a hazardous zone of wave impact" and "at immediate risk of significant damage or failure in a one-in-two-year storm event", a report in the Newcastle Herald stated.
"According to the coastal engineers' advice, the erosion impact on the building has created an imminent risk to public safety and, as a result, the building cannot be occupied," City of Newcastle infrastructure and property director Ken Liddell told the Herald.
"We understand the direct impact this will have for the operators of the café, staff and its patrons as Lexie's is a much-loved and valuable part of the community.
"We will be working closely with the business owner to transition out of the premises to make this difficult process as smooth as possible.”
Liddell said they were working with the NSW government on sustainable long-term solutions to the erosion problem.
Sheridan Randall, 19th February 2020
