The City of Coffs Harbour in New South Wales has decided to fast-track the return of the Murrays Beach access stairs by approving $50,000 for survey and design work. This decision follows a council meeting on 29 January 2026 where officials agreed to advance the funds to get the planning stages moving quickly.
The beach stairs were originally shut for emergency repairs just before heavy weather and storms hit the region in March and May 2025. These weather events caused more damage to the coast and forced the council to prioritise other urgent local projects, such as the lifeguard tower at Sawtell.
Mayor Nikki Williams said that while residents can use other paths to get to the beach, those entry points are quite a long distance away. She explained that it is important to push forward with this project now to give the community their direct beach access back as soon as possible.
While this initial money covers the planning and design, the actual construction of the new stairs is expected to be part of the 2026/27 building program. City Infrastructure Director Andrew Beswick is managing the technical side of the project using money from a reserve fund specifically meant for fixing local community assets.
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