West Beach to receive 250,000 cubic metres of sand in a bid to address erosion issues
For months council has asking questions about the seriously degraded West Beach. Now the State Government says it has the answer. See its big fix for the erosion.
West & Beaches
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About 250,000 cubic metres of sand will be sourced from quarries to help rebuild the badly degraded West Beach, giving western suburbs residents a better beach experience by the end of 2021.
For months questions have been asked about the management of West Beach, especially with plans to use sand from Port Stanvac to replenish the beach falling through.
Environment and Water Minister David Speirs said the decision to use quarry sand to replenish West Beach was made because it’s readily available and does not have the potential environmental risks associated with dredging sand from offshore sources.
He said the mass replenishment at West Beach was the first step in delivering 500,000 cubic metres of sand from an external source.
“Adelaide’s coastline is one connected system, but some of our beaches such as West Beach are experiencing significant erosion,” Mr Speirs said.
Work on delivering the 250,000 cubic metres of sand to West Beach will begin in July and Mr Speirs said this would help replenish the beach in time for summer.
“We will continue to explore options for the other 250,000 cubic metres to be delivered in the first half of 2022, as well as start construction of a sand pumping pipeline to secure the future of West Beach for the long-term,” he said.
“This mass replenishment of sand will complement the autumn sand carting which occurs between Adelaide’s northern beaches and West Beach.”
Sand carting has long been contentious, with northern beach residents complaining about the state of their local stretch due to the practice.
But sand carting will remain a key part of the state’s beach management strategy until a pumping pipeline is built.
Mr Speirs said while adding a large volume of sand to West Beach will dramatically improve the quality of the beach, it will require a large number of truck movements to deliver the quarry sand.
“We acknowledge the trucking can cause a disruption for local residents, however by doing the hard work now during the colder months, we can ensure there’s sandy beaches ready for the whole community to enjoy come summertime,” he said.
West Beach Surf Life Saving Club president Peter Zuill said the beach at the surf club has been eroded over time and the clubhouse, coast park and car park rely on a seawall for protection.
“This replenishment to our beach is positive for our club, the community and everyone who comes to West Beach to enjoy our beautiful coastline,” he said.
Concerns had been raised about the speed of the replenishment process, with the issue discussed at Monday night’s Charles Sturt Council meeting.
Councillor Kenzie van den Nieuwelaar said there would be serious ramifications for West Beach if further action wasn’t taken in the near future.
“This problem could potentially carry along the coast, exposing us to more risk,” she said.
The sand replenishment move is part of the state government’s $48.4 million Securing the Future of our Coastline project, aimed at protecting Adelaide’s metropolitan beaches.
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