Cairns council to spend $2.5m on Clifton Beach erosion prevention
Cairns Regional Council will spend $2.5m on a trio of breakwaters in a bid to prevent one of the northern beaches from slipping away.
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Cairns Regional Council will spend $2.5m on a trio of breakwaters in a bid to prevent one of the northern beaches from slipping away.
During Wednesday’s general meeting councillors voted unanimously in support of the project at Clifton Beach, which has been propped up by $985,300 in state government funding.
The project involves the construction of three breakwaters, each about 28m x 18m in size, which are designed to protect the foreshore in the long-term future and reduce council’s reliance on costly sand replenishments.
It comes after two rock groynes built at Holloways Beach, at a cost of $2m, offered little protection for the shoreline through extreme weather events.
However Division 9 councillor Brett Olds said the new design was different to what was built at the nearby beach.
“Instead of doing the 90-degree groynes, they’re actually more like mushrooms, like the ones that were put in at Ellis Beach many decades ago,” he said.
“With the intent being that one side doesn’t get eaten out and while the other side builds up the beach.
“Residents of Clifton Beach are really excited to see this project and hopefully it does exactly as it’s intended to do.”
Division 8 councillor Rhonda Coghlan said council planned to build the same breakwaters at Holloways Beach.
“With climate change and rising sea levels we can’t protect all of the beaches … but we’re doing our best,” she said.
“We do believe these rock walls, or headlands as we’re calling them … they’ll build up more like a natural headland we hope. It’s really a wait and see.”
Construction is due to finish by November 28.
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Originally published as Cairns council to spend $2.5m on Clifton Beach erosion prevention
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