The Gold Coast’s iconic beaches are in crisis, with experts warning it will take at least two years for them to fully recover from the devastating impact of Cyclone Alfred.

Four months after the storm battered Queensland’s coast, some of the city’s most popular stretches of sand remain badly damaged raising fears that major events could be disrupted or cancelled.

WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Gold coast beach repairs takes years longer than expected

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The city has already lost the Pacific Airshow, which was expected to inject $33 million into the local economy, after organisers pulled out due to the poor beach conditions.

At Narrowneck, fresh footage shows the beach still closed, with warning signs in place and large drops where sand has been washed away.

Local beachgoers told 7NEWS the damage is like nothing they’ve seen before.

“There’s a three-metre drop down a rock wall now, it’s not like past times when it was just sand,” one visitor said.

Another added, “You can’t really get down to the beach here, it’s disappointing to see.”

Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate initially promised the beaches would be repaired by April, even joking in March anyone who thought otherwise could call him out over a beer.

Erosion has left parts of the Gold Coast coastline badly damaged months after Cyclone Alfred. Credit: 7NEWS

But yesterday he delivered a much grimmer update.

“It’s going to take two years to recover from what Alfred did to us,” Tate said.

One local quipped it would cost the mayor “a couple more beers than he promised.”

Griffith University expert Dr Guilherme Vieira da Silva confirmed the extent of the damage is some of the worst he’s seen.

“In terms of beach erosion, we’ve actually seen a fair bit of erosion, so this is up there with the most intense storms on record,” he said.

The economic fallout is also mounting, with organisers warning ongoing beach damage could threaten future events and tourism.

A dredging barge is working offshore as part of a major sand replenishment effort. Credit: 7NEWS

So far only the Pacific Airshow has been cancelled, but the potential for more disruptions is growing.

In an effort to restore the coastline, a 7.7-kilometre underground pipeline has been switched on, pumping sand to Main Beach, Narrowneck and Surfers Paradise.

A dredging barge is also operating offshore.

Tate said 87 per cent of the beaches remain open and are still being enjoyed by locals and tourists.

“So as far as being an asset for people and tourists alike, it is useable,” he said.