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Debate over fate of Australia's beaches

ADELAIDE, Australia, Feb. 18 (UPI) -- Australians say they are at odds over comments made by a climate-change minister that the country's most iconic bathing and surfing beaches could erode away.

Climate Change Minister Penny Wong issued dire warnings in her opening address at the National Climate Change Forum in Adelaide, The Australian reported in its Friday edition.

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"Not only are our assets and environments at risk, many of our sandy beaches could erode away or recede up to hundreds of meters over the coming century," she said.

"It is possible that with climate change and without large and expensive nourishment programs, Bondi Beach, (Queensland's) Sunshine Coast and (Victoria's) Bells Beach may no longer be the beaches we know today."

But Bob Carter, geologist with James Cook University in Queensland, said Wong's comments were an attempt to panic the public.

He said over the past 100 years, historically, the sea level rose 0.06 inches per year and it was reasonable to expect a total rise of 6.2 inches in a century.

Longtime Bondi beachgoer Patrick Doab, 63, said he wasn't worried about Wong's predictions.

"I think it's just too drastic to say that the beach is going to change and they won't be able to go to a beach like this. It's very drastic," he said.

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