Byron Shire Council conducts periodic beach scraping at New Brighton Beach to restore sand eroded from the dune face by storm events back and rebuild dunes. The scraping is then promptly followed up with dune revegetation and pedestrian access fencing to help the dune restabilise by limiting  public access and trampling. The dune provides a large sand buffer against coastal erosion during storm events preventing coastal inundation/ocean flooding impact from ocean waves to the council-owned road behind it; maintenance of the beach for recreation and biodiversity value is a co-benefit. Scraping costs around $90,000 per campaign, with $40,000 spent on dune fencing and management. This project has been successful in preventing storm damage beyond the beach, with the 2017 sand volumes still in place and the dune heavily vegetated.  

Beach renourishment

Method: Scraped

Sand source: Same sediment compartment

Sand volume (m2): 13,200

Sand placement: Dune area

Frequency of renourishment: Every 3-4 years

Date of first renourishment: 2010

Date of last renourishment: 2017

Method: Revegetation, Rehabilitation

Rehabilitation - method: Restrict pedestrian access

Revegetation - species: Carpobrotus (Pigface), Spinifex sericeus (Coastal spinifex) Canavalia rosea (Beach bean) Ipomoea pes-caprae (Goat's foot), Acacia spp and Banksia spp after groundcover establishment