Adelaide's Living Beaches: A Strategy for 2005–2025

• Introduction
• Main Components of the Strategy
• Benefits of the Strategy
• Implementation Plan
• Sand Collection and Pumping Trials
• Information Resources

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Beach replenishment at Brighton, 1982

Introduction

The Coast Protection Board has been managing Adelaide's beaches for over 30 years in response to sand eroding and moving north along the coast. The main management actions have been to replenish beaches with sand taken from other metropolitan beaches, offshore or elsewhere, and to build seawalls as the last line of defence against erosion and storm damage. Without these measures, several of Adelaide's southern metropolitan beaches would by now have very little sand left on them and numerous foreshore properties would have been damaged by storms.

Seawall reconstruction at the Broadway, 2004

Even so, in recent years the Coast Protection Board has recognised the need to improve the management strategy, particularly in regard to reducing the number of trucks carting sand along Adelaide's beaches and roads. Moreover, following a major program of offshore dredging at Port Stanvac in the 1990s, historical sources of sand have been exhausted. Alternative sources of sand have been investigated as a matter of urgency to supplement the existing finite amount of sand within the metropolitan beach system. However, the cost of importing sand from sources outside the beach system has escalated to the point that alternative management options have been initiated in critical locations.

Trial breakwater at Semaphore South

For example, a trial breakwater has been built at Semaphore South to slow sand movement and, on completion of the strategy, to directly protect the Semaphore Park foreshore. The trial is at an early stage, but the breakwater is already holding sand in the area and performing as expected. For more information on the trial breakwater see Semaphore Park Foreshore Protection Strategy. Other recent developments have been the construction of the Holdfast Shores marina at Glenelg and the Adelaide Shores boat haven at West Beach. These harbours have interrupted much of the northerly movement of sand along the coastline. Ongoing bypassing and dredging of significant quantities of sand and seagrass around the harbours has been required. For more information see Management of the Harbours at Glenelg and West Beach.

Child near the Brighton jetty

In 2000, the Department for Environment and Heritage, on behalf of the Coast Protection Board, initiated a review of the management of Adelaide's metropolitan beaches. Based on examination of the benefits and costs of a range of strategies, along with the results of a series of modelling and feasibility studies and input from the community, the Department has developed an innovative strategy for managing Adelaide's beaches called Adelaide's Living Beaches: A Strategy for 2005–2025. The Government of South Australia endorsed the strategy in November 2005.

Pipeline intake at Noosa, Queensland

Pipeline outlet at Noosa, Queensland

Main Components of the Strategy

1. Continue beach replenishment – Continue the existing program of beach replenishment, placing 160,000 cubic metres of sand each year at strategic locations on southern and central beaches to maintain the sandy foreshore, build up dune buffers, and protect coastal infrastructure.
2. Recycle sand more effectively using sand slurry pumping and pipelines – Existing sand supplies will be recycled more effectively using sand slurry pumping and pipelines, which will minimise the need for trucks to cart sand along beaches and suburban roads.
3. Add coarse sand from external sources – Coarser, more stable sand will be added to the system from external sources such as Mount Compass to tackle the ongoing loss of dune volume and beach width caused by sea level rise and other factors.
4. Build coastal structures in critical locations – Structures such as groynes and offshore breakwaters may be used in a few critical locations to slow the northerly drift of sand.
5. Integrate sand bypassing at harbours with beach management – Integrating sand bypassing requirements at harbours with the beach replenishment program will result in more effective recycling of sand and reduced harbour management costs.

Figure – Main components of the strategy (100Kb PDF)

The strategy will minimise the need for trucks to cart sand, making the beach safer and more enjoyable for everyone (Photo: SATC)

Benefits of the Strategy

1. Sand will be maintained on Adelaide's metropolitan beaches for recreation, amenity and protection purposes.
2. The impact of replenishment activities on beach users and coastal residents will be significantly reduced.
3. Existing sand supplies will be recycled more efficiently.
4. The strategy can be readily adapted to meet changing climatic conditions.
5. The ongoing cost of managing Adelaide's coastline will be reduced by about 20%.

Implementation Plan

Seven coastal management cells are proposed in the strategy for 2005–2025.

Figure – Coastal management cells in the strategy (150Kb PDF)

Implementation of the strategy will take place in a phased manner from 2005–06 to 2010–11. This is necessary in order to trial sand collection and pumping systems, ensure that designs are prepared in a manner that takes into account existing development and land use, allow time for public consultation in conjunction with development applications, and allow time for the necessary infrastructure to be put in place.

Table – Management actions based on sediment transport rates within each coastal cell (150Kb PDF)

Sand Collection and Pumping Trials

In 2006–07, the Department for Environment and Heritage is conducting trials to identify suitable methods of collecting sand from different locations for delivery to the pipeline system proposed as part of Adelaide's Living Beaches: A Strategy for 2005–2025.

For current information on the sand collection and pumping trials, go to Latest News on Adelaide's Living Beaches, phone (08) 8124 4882 or email metrocoastprotection@saugov.sa.gov.au.

Information Resources

Adelaide's Living Beaches: A Strategy for 2005–2025

A brochure (150Kb PDF) on the strategy is available.

Coastline No. 35 (950Kb PDF) includes a summary of important background information on the strategy, including why it has been chosen over alternative strategies, and what the social and environmental impacts will be.

Adelaide's Living Beaches Technical Report (4.4Mb PDF) provides detailed information on the nature of the Adelaide coast, human impacts on the coast, the history of coastal management, recent studies and investigations, the components of the management strategy for 2005 to 2025, why the strategy was chosen over alternative strategies, community education and consultation, and economic, social and environmental impacts. (Please note that this is a large file and may take some time to download.)

How will the strategy affect your area of the coast?

How will the strategy affect Brighton and Seacliff? (100Kb PDF)
How will the strategy affect Somerton Park? (100Kb PDF)
How will the strategy affect Glenelg? (100Kb PDF)
How will the strategy affect Glenelg North? (100Kb PDF)
How will the strategy affect West Beach harbour? (100Kb PDF)
How will the strategy affect West Beach? (100Kb PDF)
How will the strategy affect Henley and Grange? (100Kb PDF)
How will the strategy affect Semaphore Park? (100Kb PDF)
How will the strategy affect Semaphore? (100Kb PDF)

A3 Posters

Background information

1. Beach values (1.1Mb PDF)
2. Living coast (1.0Mb PDF)
3. Human impacts (1.1Mb PDF)
4. Sand management to date (1.1Mb PDF)

The strategy

5. The strategy (750Kb PDF)
6. Replenish beaches (1.0Mb PDF)
7. Recycle sand (950Kb PDF)
8. New sand (900Kb PDF)
9. Build key structures (950Kb PDF)
10. Integrate harbour management (1.0Mb PDF)
11. Implementation (750Kb PDF)

Frequently asked questions

12. Coastal management (1.0Mb PDF)
13. Seagrass (900Kb PDF)
14. Harbour management (1.0Mb PDF)
15. Sand sources (1.0Mb PDF)
16. What if nothing is done? (850Kb PDF)
17. Recent projects (1.0Mb PDF)
18. Global climate change (1.0Mb PDF)
19. Sand dunes (950Kb PDF)
20. Buy back the coast (950Kb PDF)
21. Solid defences from the sea (900Kb PDF)
22. Costs (900Kb PDF)

See Background Information on Adelaide Coast Protection for downloadable educational cartoons.

Related resources

Coastal Engineering Solutions 2004, Coastal Processes Study of Adelaide Beaches, prepared for the Department for Environment and Heritage, Adelaide (2.5Mb PDF) (Please note that this is a large file and may take some time to download.)

1984 Adelaide Coast Protection Strategy Review (4.8Mb PDF) (Please note that this is a large file and may take some time to download.)

Copies of many of the above resources are available by contacting the Coastal Protection Branch on (08) 8124 4882 or by email: metrocoastprotection@saugov.sa.gov.au