The Government of South Australia is currently placing sand to Adelaide’s West Beach and Henley Beach South from the Semaphore South breakwater to address ongoing erosion of the dunes, the City of Port Adelaide Enfield informs.
According to the city’s latest release, “the aim is to steadily supply sand and replenish erosion at affected beaches through winter and into spring. The beach replenishment is putting sand on our most vulnerable and eroded beaches including West Beach and Henley Beach South, with benefits to other beaches as sand moves northward.”
Starting later this year, sand needs to be collected from beaches between the Semaphore jetty and Largs Bay jetty, which have large sand accumulations, to supplement the amount of sand collected from the Semaphore South breakwater, the city stated.
Whilst the breakwater is designed to trap sand as it naturally moves northward, there is a need to rest this supply so it can replenish.
The sand placement is planned to commence after the October school holidays and run until mid-December 2019. During this time, sand may also be collected from the Semaphore South breakwater. Sand carting will pause over the summer break before resuming in February or March 2020.
The government’s long term strategy to manage the serious erosion at West Beach and Henley Beach South, includes a commitment to match the rate of sand loss at these beaches in the short term while new sand is sourced and a sand recycling pipeline from Semaphore to West Beach is built (to be constructed in 2021/22).
“The community are invited to learn more, see concept plans and talk to the project team at a community drop-in session on Monday 29 July 2019, drop in any time between 3:30 pm and 5:30 pm at the Port Environment Centre, 27 North Parade, Port Adelaide,” the City of Port Adelaide Enfield said.