Up to 90,000 cubic metres of sand will be added to West Beach and Henley Beach South this month as part of a major effort to combat erosion along Adelaide’s coastline.
Sand will be collected from a nearshore area just south of the North Haven Marina breakwater before being transported by barge and placed off West Beach and Henley Beach South throughout September.
The Department for Environment and Water will oversee the works, which form part of the State Government’s $190 million long-term strategy to manage erosion and sand movement along the metropolitan coastline between West Beach and North Haven.
Rather than relying on trucks to move large quantities of sand along the beach, barges will place the sand directly on the seabed, allowing waves to gradually carry it towards the shoreline.
At West Beach, a cutter suction dredge and pipeline diffuser may also be used to place sand closer to shore in areas where the water is too shallow for barges.
Beaches will remain open throughout the works, although beachgoers may see dredging vessels and other equipment operating close to shore. Some on-water activities may also be temporarily affected.
The Environment Protection Authority has approved a licence for the operation following assessment of environmental management and monitoring plans and consideration of submissions made during community consultation.
Monitoring will continue throughout the works, including checks on water quality, seagrass and noise.
Minister for Climate, Environment and Water Emily Bourke said replenishing the beaches was necessary to improve their resilience to storms and sea-level rise while protecting nearby infrastructure.
“West Beach currently loses around 90,000 cubic metres of sand each year,” Minister Bourke said.
“Without replacing this sand, beaches continue to narrow, erosion increases and protection for community infrastructure is reduced.”
The September works are the latest stage in a broader long-term replenishment program.
From 2027, the State Government plans to undertake a one-off restoration of West Beach using 400,000 cubic metres of sand collected from north of the Outer Harbor channel breakwater.
An estimated 90,000 cubic metres will then be returned to Adelaide’s central beaches each year, with locations determined through ongoing coastal monitoring.
The long-term approach followed recommendations from the Adelaide Beach Management Review and will be reviewed after five years.
