Council continues to act on protection plan for Golden Beach

Sunshine Coast Council has reassured the community it is watching the changes in the Pumicestone Passage closely and has been preparing for a breakthrough at North Bribie Island since 2014, with a plan already in place to protect Golden Beach.

Sunshine Coast Council Division Two Councillor Terry Landsberg said council’s role focused on recognising and reducing the impacts from the breakthrough on Golden Beach foreshore.

“The management and monitoring of North Bribie Island is primarily a Queensland Government responsibility as this section of Bribie Island is a National Park,” Cr Landsberg said.

“However, since 2014, council’s focus has been, and will continue to be, on protecting Golden Beach, while supporting the Queensland Government as needed.”

“We are guided by the Bribie Island Breakthrough Action Plan and the Coastal Hazard Adaptation Strategy (CHAS).

“Council’s actions include regular monitoring of the area through beach surveys along Golden Beach, to provide a long-term and reliable source of data to base our decisions on.

“We also have an annual dredging program for the Pumicestone Passage to renourish the sand along Golden Beach.

“Council has upgraded local infrastructure, which to date includes replacing the degraded geobag groynes with rock structures at Oxley St, Leichhardt St, Wills Ave and Jellicoe St to help keep more sand on the beaches and restrict the channel migrating further west.

“Council has also upgraded a number of seawalls along the foreshore around Jellicoe St, Tripcony Lane and Lamerough Canal entrance.”

In addition to this plan, the CHAS adaptation pathway for Golden Beach also includes a focus on resilient homes, reviewing planning controls and drainage investigations.

Council’s Coastal and Canal Manager Michael Anderson said council had been monitoring the passage regularly since the breakthrough occurred.

“It’s a very dynamic area at the moment and to fully understand the longer-term impact of the breakthrough on Golden Beach we need the channels and banks in the Pumicestone Passage to stabilise, which should happen in around May after the storm season has finished,” Mr Anderson said.

“However, through our visual inspections of Golden Beach, we can see that there has been some erosion of the foreshore areas north of Lamerough Canal.

“An upcoming beach survey will show us the extent of the erosion which we will address by bringing forward our dredging program to replenish this sand.  

“We’ve also observed changes in the tide heights resulting in the high tides being slightly higher and, in reverse, the low tides slightly lower.

“A tidal gauge at Military Jetty allows us to investigate and measure the level of the tides and  scientifically determine the changes to the amount of water that flows into and out of the passage which could result in ongoing erosion impacts on Golden Beach.

“This investigation will be finalised in mid-2022 once the channels have stabilised and a few tide cycles have been recorded.

“The seawall south of Jellicoe St to Nelson St will also be upgraded this year to further protect the valuable park, road and amenities block immediately adjacent to the seawall.” 

Please visit council’s website at https://www.sunshinecoast.qld.gov.au/Environment/Rivers-and-Coast/Coastal-Management to read the Bribie Island Breakthrough Action Plan.

See page 102 of Part A the Coastal Hazard Adaptation Strategy for more information on Golden Beach management options.