Palm Beach is exposed significantly to erosion and did not have a sufficient natural store of sand to protect infrastructure from storm damage and erosion. To address this, the beach was first renourished in 2017, followed by installation of an artificial reef in 2019. The project is being monitored closely, with initial results indicating desired sand build up.
Beach renourishment
Method: Sand bypass/backpass
Sand source: Same sediment compartment
Sand volume (m2): 470,000
Sand placement: Visible beach
Frequency of renourishment: Once
Date of first renourishment: Jun-17
Date of last renourishment: Sep-17
Other
Method: Artificial reef - placed approx 270m offshore. 160m long, 80m wide, 1.5m below sea level. Constructed from 60,000 tonnes of basalt and greenstone rock.
Approach
Beach renourishment, Other
Geographic context
Open coast
Organisation responsible
Royal Haskoning DHV Australia
Primary objective
Coastal protection
Coastal hazard
Erosion, Storms
Asset vulnerable
Recreational, Built
Length of coastline targeted (m)
900
Date of completion
Sep-19
Cost ($AUD)
$18.2 million
Source of project funding
Local government
Project approvals needed
Local