Maintaining Adelaide’s beaches

After extensive research, trials and public consultation, a new replenishment program has been developed to manage erosion hot spots and sand build-up along the coast from West Beach to North Haven.

Following relevant approvals, the replenishment program will include a once-off mass restoration to restore West Beach with 400,000 cubic metres of sand collected from north of the Outer Harbor channel breakwater. In addition, the state government will establish an annual replenishment program with an estimated 90,000 cubic metres of sand each year collected from the northern coastline, primarily from sites where sand builds up at places like Semaphore and Largs Bay.

The program will see sand collected by near shore extraction at several locations, before being barged to West Beach, and deposited into the water near the shore. Wave action will then bring the sand onshore to build up the beach. This will maintain beaches to levels which not only provide great sandy beaches for the community but also provides important buffers to protect key infrastructure including roads, homes and businesses.

This type of dredging is the most common method of beach replenishment globally, as well as in Australia. It was a recommendation of the Adelaide Beach Management Review, and supported by peer-reviewed scientific advice to government. Its viability was also confirmed by an operational trial.

The sand replenishment program is estimated to cost $190 million over 20 years. The replenishment program will be subject to approval and licensing by the Environment Protection Authority.

A review will also take place after five years to evaluate the success of the beach management program. The replenishment program is expected to commence in 2027 and will replace the current program involving sand delivery by truck.

Also announced was a $6 million upgrade to water monitoring and infrastructure at the South Australian Research and Development Institute’s (SARDI) South Australian Aquatic Sciences Centre (SAASC) at West Beach to strengthen SA’s seafood industry and marine biodiversity research programs.

The funding will modernise critical systems at the state’s leading marine and freshwater research facility, including integrating real-time water quality sensors with alarms on SARDI’s raw seawater intake feed to ensure prompt response should the water quality deteriorate.

These upgrades will future-proof the facility, ensuring it can continue to deliver high quality science that supports industry growth and the environment.