Frustrated residents who say they can no longer wait for official intervention to stop their town from disappearing into the sea have started their own fundraising campaign.
Lancelin, the well-known coastal getaway about 125km north of Perth, has been battling worsening erosion for the past six years.
In March, the waterline sat roughly 15 metres from the Lancelin Sands Hotel, but following recent damaging weather, the gap has narrowed to only seven metres.
Hotel owner Glen Trebilcock said the community had grown tired of waiting for government help, prompting locals to set up a GoFundMe campaign with a target of $150,000.
Speaking to Perth Now, he said the lack of action was “ridiculous”, arguing the problem would likely have been fixed much earlier if it were happening somewhere else.
He said Western Australia’s “adventure playground” had instead been effectively left to fend for itself.
Trebilcock warned the issue was impossible to overlook, with the caravan park further north also feeling the impact of the encroaching coastline.
He added that prospective homebuyers and single retirees in the area were now questioning their future, with some wondering whether they should sell before the situation worsens.
The town of Lancelin continues to vanish at a rapid rate due to worsening coastal erosion and locals are now taking matters into their own hands
The donations will be used to build a 100-metre seawall that will protect the pub, caravan park and dune system to the south.
More than $65,000 has been raised so far.
The Shire of Gingin previously attempted a temporary fix in September 2025 by carrying out sand replenishment to the tune of $150,000.
Sand was also stockpiled to protect the coast.
Mr Trebilcock noticed it had been washed away six months later and tried to fix the problem by using a small front-end loader to shift sand and fortify the area.
A Shire of Gingin Council spokesman said that even if the GoFundMe raised enough money, approval was still likely needed from multiple government authorities.
‘In addition to the Shire, the Department of Transport and Major Infrastructure and the Department of Planning, Lands and Heritage have roles in assessing and endorsing coastal protection works on the coast,’ he said.
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‘Whether individual buildings can be protected depends on site-specific engineering.
The popular holiday destination about 125km north of Perth has been shrinking for about six years
Pub owner Glen Trebilcock said there was a 15 meter gap between his venue and the water’s edge in March, but that distance has reduced to just seven
‘These matters require detailed technical assessment and are not matters that the Shire can determine in isolation.’
Time is against the locals, who fear that costs to save their town will blow out if they don’t take action now.
‘Engineers warn that once the dune is breached, any defence becomes harder, slower and far more expensive to build,’ the GoFundMe reads.
‘The alternative – “managed retreat” where the state eventually has to buy out and demolish properties – has been estimated at over **$20 million** for a stretch like ours, plus the human cost of families losing their homes and businesses.
‘For the residents of Lancelin, this is simply not an option.
‘We are not willing to gamble the town’s future on waiting to find out which way that goes.
‘We’re acting now, ourselves, and asking our community – locals, visitors, anyone who has ever loved Lancelin and for future generations – to help us get ahead of it.
A Western Australian government spokesman said decisions are made after technical assessment, planning and approval processes.
‘In addition to the $150,000 emergency support provided in 2025, the state government continues to support the Shire of Gingin through the CoastWA program, which provides funding, coastal data, technical expertise, and planning support,’ he said.
Daily Mail contacted Shire of Gingin Council mayor Linda Balcombe for comment.
