New $7.6m boardwalk, tourist attraction for Sugars Beach and Murray Mouth

A stunning $7.6m tourist boardwalk and cultural experience at Sugars Beach on the Murray Mouth is a step closer to reality.

A $7.6m council plan to transform Sugars Beach near the Murray Mouth into a major tourism attraction will receive $1m from the state government.

Sugars Beach is one of the few land-based locations where people can view the Murray Mouth without a boat or four-wheel drive.

At the moment the area is best known for the Coorong Cafe, which was rated as one of SA’s top ten fish and chip restaurants earlier this year.

But while the Cafe has its own portaloo, the nearest public toilet is more than 2km away.

For years, the Alexandrina Council has been developing plans for a tourism, education and cultural experience complete with boardwalks, viewing platforms, an amphitheatre, nature-play space, jetty, car park and a “dedicated food truck area”.

An artist impression of the planned $7.6 million project to transform Sugars Beach and the Murray Mouth into a thriving Fleurieu Peninsula tourism hub, including cultural hub, boardwalks and viewing platforms, amphitheatre space, nature-play area, jetty, car park and a dedicated food truck area. Supplied.

Primary Industries and Regional Development Minister David Basham said the state’s contribution of $1m – signed off before the state government entered the caretaker period – had come from the Opening our Great Outdoors regional growth fund.

He said the Sugars Beach Murray Mouth Icon Project would have “significant economic benefits for the Hindmarsh Island, Goolwa and wider Fleurieu Peninsula region, boosting the local economy and creating local jobs”.

“The project is expected to facilitate a sense of community, providing social benefits through the creation of high-quality public space and raising awareness of the high environmental value of the Murray Mouth,” he said.

“It will also provide the opportunity to promote Ngarrindjeri cultural heritage, including showcasing and promoting aboriginal art, which will create economic opportunities for Ngarrindjeri people and strengthen relationships in the community.

“While the project will still require federal government funding to go ahead I look forward to working alongside the Alexandrina Council to try to secure this and deliver a transformational project for the region.”

An artist impression of the $7.6m Sugars Beach / Murray Mouth tourism project.

Alexandrina Council Mayor Keith Parkes welcomed the state government contribution to the project.

“The Sugars Beach Murray Mouth Icon Project will create a world-class tourism and recreation destination for locals and visitors to experience,” Mr Parkes said.

“This is an ambitious project, which will provide significant economic and social benefits to our local community and I am pleased the state government is supporting us to deliver it.”

However owners of the Coorong Cafe were not named in the masterplan and fear the council intends to replace them with something else. A recent Facebook page attracted 112 comments and 35 shares, with many regular customers calling for a petition against the project.

But the Mayor said he wanted to reassure the Cafe that they were safe.