Gold Coast City Council begin annual $1 million project to combat beach erosion
A section of Burleigh Heads beach has been closed as council launches an annual million-dollar project to combat beach erosion. Full details.
Gold Coast
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Council have kicked off an annual $1 million-a-year project, which has been running since 2017 to protect Gold Coast beaches from erosion during severe storms.
On Thursday, Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate confirmed a dredge boat had started collecting sand from Tallebudgera Creek as part of long-term works to combat beach erosion.
“Our annual $1 million erosion busting dredging project is underway to ensure the surrounding beaches continue to flourish,” he said.
A section of Burleigh Beach near Rick Shores and the Burleigh Pavilion will remain closed while the sand is being pumped onto the beach.
Council is asking members of the public to steer clear of the area where the work is taking place. “People are asked to stay away from the section of sand where the sand is being pumped onto, for safety reasons,” a spokesperson said.
It comes while the city continues to recover from ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred and subsequent storms, which created an erosion cliff along the 52km coastline from Coolangatta to the Spit.
Separate works have been taking place as part of those recovery efforts, with a council forecast saying full restoration of the beaches was expected to take three years.
Mr Tate said preparing the beaches for future erosion was also crucial, with beaches contributing around $3.4 billion to the local economy each year.
“Our dredging and beach nourishment programs ensure the Gold Coast’s beaches are in the best condition possible for swimmers and surfers,” he said.
“As well as keeping the beaches pristine, the nourishment program also protects community infrastructure from destructive coastal erosion.
“The ‘beach boost’ dredging works are essential to ensure our natural resources can continue to be enjoyed by everyone for decades to come.”
Once the dredge boat has completed its collection at Tallebudgera Creek it will pump approximately 30,000 cubic metres of sand onto Burleigh Beach.
“With mother nature, the sand will flow north towards the Spit,” Mr Tate said.
“The way I look at it, this is value for money to protect our beaches from Tallebudgera to Surfers Paradise.”
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