Residents of Stockton, north of Newcastle, who are losing their beach to dramatic erosion, are demanding emergency action from the state government. A childcare centre that supported 72 children was forced to permanently close on 3 September and the Stockton Surf Life Saving Club – once a 150m run across the sands from the waves – now has water regularly crashing at its rock wall. In June last year, erosion exposed a dump site containing asbestos, which made its way onto the sands