Popular tourist town Lancelin at risk of being swallowed by the ocean amid rapid coastal erosion

A popular Australian tourist town is crying out for help as the ocean threatens to swallow up their piece of paradise.

Locals in the coastal community of Lancelin, 125km north of Perth, say something must be done to negate the erosion crisis, but experts fear it could already be too late.

WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Lancelin is being swallowed by the ocean at a rapid rate.

Every year, Lancelin welcomes thousands of visitors keen to carve a path through the region’s famous white sand while soaking in the relaxed seaside lifestyle by the picturesque water.

Glen Trebilcock took over Lancelin Sands Hotel in 2022 and says he has watched his dream erode at an alarming speed, leaving him extremely “nervous”.

Photos taken five years apart and shared on social media in recent days show how rapidly the landscape is changing.

An aerial timelapse of the last 20 years also provides little comfort for those with interests on the shoreline (You can check that out in the video above).

“When I bought this I had a gorgeous beach, people had direct beach access to go down for a swim,” Trebilcock told 7NEWS on Monday.

“Now I’m more worried about kids turning around and falling off a cliff.”

Since January, six metres of shoreline has disappeared and in April the footpath completely fell away, taking with it the base of the Lancelin lookout.

The shire is appealing for the government to step in.

“Without money we can’t do the work that’s needed and it’s really about building those dunes back up so that they protect the town,” Gingin Shire president Linda Balcombe said.

Some experts say there is little that can be done. A sea wall has been predicted to cost about $20 million.

“In the case of Lancelin, it’s built in the wrong place. It’s built in an eroding coastline,” UWA coastal oceanography professor Charitha Pattiaratchi said.

“It’s probably controversial — [but the best thing to do would be] retreat, do nothing.”

Many locals fear nearby sand mining is disrupting the ecosystem.

In the past, locals have also been against potential bans for four-wheel-drives on beach landscapes.

Trebilcock does not know what the answer is but says he is running out of time.

“We need help because otherwise Lancelin will be no more. One grain at a time,” he said.

The state government said the shire had not sought urgent assistance but engineers will examine the erosion.

Former WA opposition leader Shane Love said the erosion had “decimated the footpath causing public danger”.

“I’ll be discussing this issue with the Shire of Gingin and asking the Minister for Transport to make sure action is taken to protect the safe use of our beautiful coastline and ensure local businesses like the Lancelin Sands Hotel can operate successfully,” the member for Moore said.

One person responding to the alarming five-year comparison photos on social media suggested the government should be putting money into conservation efforts here “instead of the mega millions spent on rugby, car racing and wrestling”.

Others argued it was a “lesson for future generations not to build so close and protect the fragile coast or mother nature will claim it back”.