Mooloolaba Beach receives some TLC

Sunshine Coast Council will be working with the Queensland Government (Marine Safety Queensland) as part of their project to remove sand from the mouth of the Mooloolah River.

Marine Safety Queensland (MSQ) needs to remove around 2000m3 of sand from the entrance channel of the Mooloolaba harbour and the surrounding sand shoal for marine safety.

Council will use this sand to restore areas of Mooloolaba Beach which have been affected by erosion.

Work is expected to begin from 1 March 2024 and take up to three weeks, weather dependent.

Mooloolaba Beach safety

There will be some changes to beach access while the work takes place. For your own safety, please follow signage and stick to the pedestrian pathway while the machines are working.

What’s involved

MSQ will use a dredge to suck the sand from the mouth of the Mooloolah River and the shoal in Mooloolaba Bay.

The dredge will connect to council’s pipeline that is already buried beneath the sand along Mooloolaba Beach.

The sand will be transported through the pipeline to where it’s needed further up the beach.

Beach safety tips

Please follow the directions of the staff on site to move safely on Mooloolaba Beach, specifically where the sand exits the pipeline.

• The dredge sand is transported through a pipeline and deposited at the nominated beach location. The velocity of the material coming out of the pipe is extremely fast and walking through the water can cause you to lose your footing.
• The outlet dredge sand and water mixture is super saturated and can behave like quicksand.
• The sand deposited on the beach is stockpiled with an excavator and uncompacted. It can become unstable and collapse at any time.
• Always walk around the work area via the designated pedestrian walkways.
• Do not enter the flagged area where machinery is working.
• Choose patrolled bathing reserves when choosing to swim.
• Throughout dredging operations, pipes are dragged along the beach with the use of excavators. Avoid machinery and pipes while this operation is being undertaken.

Water safety tips

Please follow safety directions at the dredging site at Mooloolaba harbour entrance:

• Swimming near a dredge is like swimming through a construction site. Swimming or using any non-powered watercraft is not advised in this area.
• The dredge has both floating and submerged parts. Floating buoys are used to show anchors but you can’t always see the danger below the surface!
• Sharp barnacles grow on the outside of the floating pipe and the dredge vessel and can cause cuts which may lead to infection. Do not interact with any vessel or floating pipework. 
• Dredge operators are working, and are focusing on their job. They can’t always be keeping an eye on you.
• Respect the exclusion zones and do not enter the delineated area in the water.
• The floating pipe moves around with tides and swell. Make sure you stay well clear of these pipes during any water activity. 
• The dredge cutting head has sharp teeth and strong vacuum force. The force of the vacuum may cause sandy banks to become unstable.

Multiple work fronts

Dredging operations require multiple work fronts.

The dredge vessel, which is located in Mooloolaba harbour entrance, is sucking sand to be transported to the beach via a pipeline.

Access to some parts of Mooloolaba Beach will be restricted to ensure community safety.

Why do we need to replenish sand on our beaches?

Sunshine Coast beaches are vulnerable to erosion during storms, swells and weather events.

Our preferred option is to let mother nature replenish the sand on the beach naturally.

However, sometimes we need to step in and pump sand to certain locations that aren’t naturally repairing quickly enough. This is for the safety of our community and to protect our foreshore areas and important community assets such as beach stairs, roads, parks and playgrounds.