New round of sand nourishment at Mettams

Update 25/11/22: To ensure the sand nourishment works at Mettams Pool and Trigg Beach will be completed by Monday 5 December, the section of beach between Saunders Street car park and Giles Street will be closed from 6.00am Monday 28 November 2022 to Monday 5 December 2022 for day work.

-

Preparations are underway for a new round of sand nourishment at Mettams Pool and Trigg Beach, with works due to commence on 27 November 2022.

To minimise disruption to local residents, night works to harvest the sand at Trigg Beach will begin at 6.00pm and finishing at 6.00am, from Sunday 27 November 2022 to Monday 5 December 2022.

Up to 5,000m³ of beach sand – or approximately 500 trucks worth – will then be transported from Trigg Beach to the Saunders Street Carpark during the day between 6.00am – 6.00pm, before being deposited along the Mettams Pool beach. 

Sand volume at Trigg Beach is substantial enough to provide a source for sand nourishment to Mettams Pool twice annually, to prepare for summer use and provide a buffer for winter storms. While sand naturally dissipates along the coast, up to 10,000m3 of relocated beach sand could assist in maintaining some beaches, buffering dunes and help mitigate the effects of sea level rise.

While the sand nourishment works are being implemented, Mettams Pool and the Saunders Street carpark will be closed.

Mayor Mark Irwin said coastal erosion was an issue facing many coastal local governments and would require significant funding support from all levels of government to put in place long-term adaption measures.

“Temporary fencing along the area at Trigg Beach will protect the public from the night works conducted by loader machines creating a stockpile of sand ready for the daytime transportation to the Saunders Street Carpark,” he said.

“We would ask that people have patience with us as we conduct these important coastal erosion mitigation works, just in time for locals and tourists to enjoy our beaches over the summer.

“These works are part of the City’s ongoing efforts to protect the City’s 7km of coastline – and the amenities that are most important to residents – from the effects of climate change.

“We appreciate the Department of Transport providing partial funding of these important works, and look forward to working with the State and Federal Government on future mitigation and adaptation works.”

Designs for the reconstruction of the Mettams Pool gazebo have been completed, and the City is currently sourcing contractors in order to deliver these works in early 2023.

Erosion of the beach and dunes at Mettams Pool has been ongoing for several decades. Beach nourishment – adding sand to the beach from another location – is the simplest, most natural and cost effective way to minimise this erosion. The sand placed during the beach nourishment acts as a buffer to protect the coast and dunes from further erosion during weather events. 

The sand placed on the beach at Mettams Pool will move due to the natural ocean processes. This is expected and helps to maintain the natural movement of sand along the coast. The sand will move into the shallow nearshore areas and onto the beaches to the north, which may be noticed to get wider.

The rocky outcrops on the beach at Mettams Pool will be covered by the beach nourishment operations.  As the sand moves the rock will likely become uncovered, as it did in previous operations in 2021.

The City is currently developing a Coastal Hazard Risk Management and Adaptation Plan (CHRMAP) – a major, long-term body of work which will set the framework for the assessment of coastal hazards and provide strategic guidance for coordinated, integrated and sustainable land-use planning and decision-making.

In June 2022 Mayor Mark Irwin put forward a motion on climate change adaptation which passed unanimously at the National General Assembly (NGA), the Australian Local Government Association’s (ALGA) annual conference.

The motion called on the Federal Government to work with State and Territory Governments to develop a sustainable, equitable and efficient national funding model for the implementation of coastal hazard management actions to mitigate coastal erosion and inundation.

Sea-level rise (and associated coastal hazards such as storm erosion, coastal inundation and shoreline recession) is affecting coastal communities across Australia and will continue to affect these communities ongoing.

Over the next 50 years alone, it has been estimated that at least $30 billion (net present cost) of investment in large-scale coastal protection and adaptation projects is needed to manage coastal hazards.

A sustainable, equitable and efficient funding framework will help preserve Australia’s public beaches and foreshores, while minimising climate change impacts on assets such as tourist destinations, ports, marinas, harbours and private property.