The funding comes just weeks after massive storms battered the already eroding beach, with more of the former rubbish tip exposed alongside refuse appearing from land managed by the Department of Crown Lands.

Parliamentary Secretary for the Hunter Scot MacDonald said the move came after the Crown lad site had been impacted by the June weather.

“After a weekend of large swells earlier this month part of a former rubbish tip was exposed on a section of the North Stockton Beach,” Mr MacDonald said. “Clearly this is a situation that must be dealt with urgently to ensure the safety of the community and the protection of the local environment.”

“The Department of Industry – Lands has been working closely with Newcastle City Council and Hunter Water to complete the preliminary work, including waste classification, needed to get emergency rehabilitation work underway.”

Hunter Water, who has been working on rehabilitating the eroding sands since a major storm in January of this year, will work in partnership alongside the state department, Mr MacDonald revealed, with aims to “complete the emergency work” in the form “removal of waste for the beach and away from the coast”. That objective lines up with works already being undertaken since November of last year.

Mr MacDonald also revealed a longer term plan for management of the area would be negotiated once the current emergency works were completed.

“Management of coastal erosion is a complex issue involving multiple Government and non-government organisations,” he said. “We will continue to support the development of a Coastal Zone Management Plan for the area.”

Estimated times for the emergency works are around two weeks, depending on weather.