Community
6 December, 2023
Work to stop sand erosion
LONG-awaited breakwaters at Holloways Beach to try to stop sand erosion have been approved by Cairns Regional Council.
The three breakwaters at a cost of $2.4 million will be constructed as soon as a Queensland Government marine parks’ permit is issued. A council spokesman said the proposed breakwaters were permanent structures built from rock for the main purpose of mitigation of sand loss and retention of the beach profile.
“The $2.4m project will provide longer term protection of the foreshore, while also reducing ongoing costs of regular sand nourishment programs,” he said.
“The three breakwaters, which will be about 34m x 23m in size, will be constructed north of the existing rock groyne.”
The government has committed $750,000 of funding to the project under the preparing our communities program. The work is expected to be completed at the end of July 2024.
A council report said continued erosion of Holloways Beach had resulted in the need for erosion protection structures to be considered after sand nourishment campaigns completed in 2021 and 2023 to address significant erosion occurring to the grassed foreshore and to address the risk to nearby public infrastructure.
“These campaigns are undertaken at substantial cost with limited success as the sand continues to be washed away by wave action as part of the natural coastal processes,” it said.
“The most recent campaign was in 2023 when approximately 35,000 cubic metres of sand was pumped onto the beach at a cost of $1.25m.
“Council recently constructed two rock structures to the Holloways Beach foreshore which protect the southern 650m of beachfront. These are proving to be successful in retaining sand on the beach front.”
Area Councillor Rhonda Coghlan said the project was “a long time coming”. She said it had been in the budget last year, this year and even next year.
“It hasn’t been the fault of council (the delay), but it has been a long wait for the community,’ Cr Coghlan said.
Project management office executive manager Ray Plasto told last week’s council meeting that, while he was unable to give a start date due to waiting for the permit, the council would be all set to go with the job after government permission was granted.
