At first , Little Darwin was reluctant to run this exclusive Shipping Reporter post because of the possible adverse affect it might have on choice island real estate . He insisted there are clear signs that Magnetic Island is being secretly prepared for rising sea levels. What ? Produce the evidence for such a dramatic statement which claims parts of Townsville's Jewel- in - the Crown will be turned into something like sinking Kiribati, we demanded.
From his soggy kitbag the waterfront roundsman whipped out his camera and presented his case.
He started off by saying that, months ago, the popular Nelly Bay beach had been closed off for dune restoration .This was carried out under the Nelly Bay Shoreline Management Plan drawn up for the Townsville City Council in 2010, an extensive document , slightly smaller than the Encyclopedia Britannica.
As a result of the latest work, there is a high ridge of sand ,some of it overgrown , above the level of the foreshore public space which includes a barbecue area , seating and a playground , making it difficult to get down to the beach . There is evidence of some brave mountain climbers having conquered the mound and blazed a trail down to the beach .
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The Shipping Reporter saved his most telling pictorial evidence for the last , shown below , which he claims is an Australian version of the very seat in which Good King Canute of Denmark, Norway and England sat when asked to stop the waves coming in. He summised that in the event of rising sea levels an Anglo-Saxon solution will be found to Nelly Bay's inundation , similar to the act of a certain brave little Dutch boy .
