Semaphore, Largs Bay: state govt reveals earthmoving equipment will be used on SA beaches even after sand pipeline is complete

Beachside residents who thought the sand pipeline would spell the end of earthworks have been shocked to learn heavy equipment will be used for years – as a budget blowout is revealed.

EARTHMOVING equipment will continue to rumble around beaches between Semaphore and Largs Bay for the next quarter of a century, the state government has revealed.

The shock to residents, who thought the multimillion-dollar sand pumping pipeline from Semaphore South to West Beach would spell the end of earthworks, has come with news of a $10m blowout in the budget.

Evidence given at a meeting of parliament’s public works committee this week indicated that the pipeline would ideally extend to Largs Bay, 3km north of Semaphore South.

But the cost blowout means it won’t happen.

Originally announced by Premier Steven Marshall as a $28.4m project, the committee heard the budget was now $38.9m.

Opposition environment spokeswoman Susan Close said the project had been “mismanaged”.

“Now we are seeing a cost blowout before the project even gets development approval,” she said.

At community meetings last week, Environment and Water Department staff said beaches at Semaphore and Largs Bay would see trucks and earthmoving equipment collecting sand for the pipeline over the next 25 years.

Environment Minister David Speirs said completion of the sand recycling pipeline would “significantly reduce the reliance on trucks to move sand, making it safer for the community, as well as reducing noise and congestion”.

Securing the Future of our Coastline project manager James Guy said pumping would eliminate the need to use trucks to move sand from Semaphore South to West Beach.

“Beaches to the north of Semaphore South will still need to be managed, but on a much smaller scale than currently occurs,” he said.

“This sand will be trucked along the beach from areas further to the north at Semaphore and Largs Bay. Moving this amount of sand will take approximately one to three weeks each year.”

He said the increased cost to deliver the project was based on detailed designs and a tender received by the Infrastructure Department.

“The cost of delivering major public infrastructure projects has increased significantly since the project was announced in the 2019-20 state budget,” Mr Guy said. “The Covid-19 pandemic has increased the cost of major components of the sand-pumping system, such as the pipeline and pumping stations.”

Warwick Norman of Semaphore, a member of the Save Our Shores: Semaphore Largs Bay committee, said he was “suspicious” about the government’s plan.

He went to a community meeting at Grange last week, where he said department staff displayed a picture of “a little tractor with a land plane ”.

“There’s no way they’re going to pick up the sand they need with that,” he said.

Artist impressions showing what West Beach will look like under the state government's plan to build a new sand recycling pipeline from Semaphore to West Beach. Picture: Supplied