Murray Griffith, an engineer with a mining background, has grave concerns for the stability of a section of land above The Boneyard reserve.

The land, directly across the railway from his house on Cathedral Rocks Ave, used to be a gully, which was filled in with rubble when the nearby cutting was built in 1901.

While State Rail has stablised and regularly monitors the land on its side of the fence, the Council-managed land on the other side of the fence, which has a sharp drop down to the reserve, hasn’t been.

“There is no stabilisation of the cliff,” says Murray.

“I feel I would be negligent if I didn’t say something.”

Apart from the continual cracking of the section of the Kiama Coast Walk that passes through the area, he is worried about the potential for a major incident given important infrastructure rests on the unstable embankment.

In 2014 a ‘temporary’ sewer pipe, that carries effluent from Kiama Downs and Minnamurra, was laid on top of the ground and a high pressure natural gas main, which Murray says is bare in places, also runs along there.

The 'temporary' sewer pipe at the back of the foreground, with the original one in the rear

“If the temporary sewer line detaches there is going to be a spill of massive proportions,” he says.

“The big one for me is if that corridor moves, and until they can get to it, there will be a massive amount of explosive gas. Methane gas within the sewer is also explosive.

“It might never happen, but the risk is definitely there.”

Between 2015 and 2019 he was involved in a series of meetings with Council staff and councillors looking into this issue, and he is dismayed the much needed work hasn’t been progressed.

“Back in 2019 they assured me something would be done once they sorted out how to get the various bodies involved, but it seems nothing has been done,” says Murray.

He’s pleased to hear that work is planned to fix the footpath, which has substantial cracking acknowledged by warning signs erected by Council at each end of the path.

Accidents often happen on the uneven path

“There are many instances where people are tripping and falling over, even into the star posts which are the only things protecting them from the sharp drop.

“We’ve lost a few cyclists over the edge, and even a child fell down there.

“Old temporary fencing, star pickets and old bunting are just sitting there, creating a hazard in themselves.”

The growing popularity and speed of ebikes is adding an extra element of danger on the narrow, uneven path.

Council says it will be repairing the damaged section of pathway linking Bombo Beach and The Boneyard before June 2022. Once the repairs are complete the temporary safety fencing will be removed.

However, Murray is concerned that without the embankment being stabilised, the work will be a temporary fix.

“It could be like putting a new roof on a house that is falling down.

“They need to get a proper Geotech for a long term solution.”