Lancelin residents fear local government project to save beachfront pub from crumbling into the sea too late

Lancelin residents are sceptical about a local government project to prevent a beachfront pub from crumbling into the sea.

Locals have long feared coastal erosion could wipe out their fishing town — home to about 1000 residents — with at least 30m of coastline already washed away.

The Shire of Gingin last week confirmed 7000 cubic metres of sand would be relocated from Lancelin Beach to protect the Lancelin Sands Hotel from erosion.

Gingin Shire chief executive Scott Wildgoose said the sand would “act as a buffer against tidal activity, reducing further erosion and helping to safeguard the Lancelin Sands Hotel and its visitors”.

“In addition, some native dune vegetation will be planted to help stabilise and strengthen the dune system for the future,” he said.

The project — funded by the Department of Transport and Major Infrastructure and Shire of Gingin — started on Monday and will continue throughout the rest of September.

But Lancelin local Wayne Honore said he feared the sand displacement would cause other issues.

“Lowering the beach is allowing (the water) at high tide, any surge to come in right up to the fence line,” he told 7NEWS.

Lancelin Sands Hotel owner Glen Trebilcock said he feared it was too late.

“You’d think there’d be some kind of rock base underneath, some kind of matting, rather than just sand on sand which hopefully won’t just wash away in the next storm,” he said.

It comes months after the State Government allocated a $150,000 emergency package to the Shire of Gingin to help fund immediate measures.