Lake Cathie resident Jan Smith said the high tides have left locals worried about the state of Illaroo Road, fearing it's only a matter of time before it collapses.

"It's gotten worse," she said. "It's very scary, we're all waiting for this road to fall in."

"I don't live along this street but I worry for the residents, everyone is very concerned. The water has got to be getting under it now, so it's only a matter of time before Illaroo Road collapses."

Ms Smith said there isn't much beach left at all after the recent high tides.

"Even on low tide, it's pretty hard to walk to Middle Rock," she said. "We've lost a lot of sand, and it's only going to get worse.

"The orange tape along the road has only gone up recently, so it's definitely a worry, and I think something needs to be done soon."

A Port Macquarie-Hastings Council spokesperson has responded to residents' concerns about the beach erosion near Illaroo Road.

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High tide warning and worsening beach erosion trigger fears of Illaroo Road collapse

The council said they acknowledge that the process to develop a solution to the costal erosion hazard at Illaroo Road has been a long one.

"Council is currently in the middle of a co-design process working with impacted community members and other community representatives to refresh the coastal protection options available to provide both protection of assets and community benefit.

"This process was a result of the previous revetment wall design and associated funding model not gaining the support of the community.

"While a general protection option was supported, community members raised significant concerns over visual bulk and amenity impacts, and the potential for secondary erosion effects caused by the structure."

The co-design process is intended to develop a shortlist of options supported by the impacted residents that will then be presented to the broader community for consultation, before Council makes a final decision.

The council said funding of any solution remains a key issue to be resolved, and this issue is shared with other LGAs with similar erosion problems.

"Council remains committed to pursuing a protection option under the existing Coastal Zone Management Plan (CZMP) if suitable funding can be obtained, and also to incorporating a protection option into the Coastal Management Program, allowing new funding sources from the NSW Government to be accessed.

"In the short term, Council is preparing an application to the NSW Government for an emergency grant to undertake works protecting the dune system surrounding the stormwater outlet at the Southern end of Illaroo Road.

"This will prevent potential damage to the stormwater outlet in future storms, and assist in remediating the localised erosion in that area. These works will also provide an additional buffer to the road itself from storm events."

The council said the trend over the last 10 years has been of relative stability of the dune system, and the aerial imagery shows this cycle of sand movement occurring while the underlying dune remains essentially the same.

"Analysis by Geoscience Australia and their Digital Earth Australia Map also tracks shorelines over time using satellite imagery, and paints a similar picture of sand variability with a general trend of stability," the spokesperson said.

The council said based on the findings of a Geotechnical investigation conducted in April, emergency works are not justified along Illaroo Road at this time.

"The report provides a good level of confidence in the stability of the existing embankment. Council will continue to pursue sand nourishment from dredged material from lower Cathie Creek to address short term erosion around the southern stormwater outlet and supplement the potential grant funded works outlined above."

The council said a summary of the geotechnical report is being prepared for distribution to affected residents for information.

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