Sunshine Coast Council pushes back highly controversial Mooloolaba seawall plan

Beach advocates and business leaders are rejoicing after the Sunshine Coast Council announced it will be delaying the highly controversial Mooloolaba seawall plan until 2025.

Beachgoers at Mooloolaba Beach. Picture: Contributed

Beach advocates and business leaders are rejoicing after the Sunshine Coast Council announced it will be delaying the highly controversial Mooloolaba seawall plan until 2025.

The project has been highly controversial with businesses and beach advocates slamming the council’s plans to transform the Mooloolaba beachfront, fearing the world-renowned strip of sand would be closed for months while a new seawall is built along the foreshore.

The ageing seawall built in the 1960s will be replaced by a concrete terrace stepped seawall from Brisbane Road to the Mooloolaba Surf Club.

It is understood the seawall will be laid from the existing dunes to within two metres of the high tide area and will be covered with sand.

Beachgoers at Mooloolaba Beach. Picture: Contributed

A council statement revealed the new seawall would span about 290m, from the surf life saving tower ramp to the pedestrian crossing opposite Mantra Sirocco and would be half a metre higher than the existing wall which is 5m at its highest point.

Sunshine Coast Council Mayor Rosanna Natoli said the project had now been delayed until 2025.

Rachael Bermingham from The Beach Matters Community said the delay was “fantastic news”.

“We get to keep our beautiful beach, as is, for longer,” she said.

“There will be more time for businesses, Mooloolaba residents and the local community who use this beach daily/weekly to prepare for a significant construction period.

“It will give the council time to do the sand movement study, which is critical to have completed before any sort of beach related project is undertaken.”

Rosanna Natoli, Sunshine Coast Mayor.

The new council will be presented a report on the project at the May 30 council meeting.

“Council had originally hoped to start construction mid-2024,” Mayor Natoli said.

“However during the tender process it became clear that after the contract is awarded, the contractor would need lead time for programming and to procure materials for the coastal protection works before they could start working on the site.

“This essentially means the window for a construction start this year has closed.

Rachael Bermingham. Photo - Patrick Woods / Sunshine Coast Daily.

“While the process to secure an expert construction contractor continues, council has been working with the newly established Mooloolaba Business Activation Group and Mooloolaba Stakeholder Interest Group.

“We have been listening and we have heard from our business members that disruption and activation planning is key prior to construction.

“That is why, at the fourth Business Activation Group meeting on May 7, the group was informed that the project should now start in early 2025 allowing businesses more time to prepare.

The next stage of the foreshore’s revitalisation includes new viewing decks, community parkland and picnic areas, expansive landscaping, public amenities including changing places toilet facility, beach showers, terraced seawall and a broad, accessible coastal pathway.