How we’re protecting and restoring Adelaide's metro beaches

From 2027, the South Australian Government will roll out a new long-term replenishment program to protect Adelaide’s beaches by moving/recycling sand from where it naturally builds up to where it’s being lost.

This significant investment will include:

• One-off mass restoration at West Beach: From 2027, once-off mass restoration will see approximately 400,000 cubic metres of sand (about 160 Olympic-size swimming pools) delivered over two years to restore West Beach.
• Ongoing annual replenishment across Adelaide’s metropolitan beaches: From 2027, an annual replenishment will return an estimated 90,000 cubic metres of sand each year to Adelaide’s central beaches where it is needed, including West Beach, guided by ongoing beach monitoring.

No trucks will be on beaches as part of the replenishment program.

Short-term measures before the replenishment program starts

In 2026, external sand will continue to be trucked to West Beach and Henley Beach South to help maintain beach width until the once-off mass restoration program begins in 2027. Volumes will be confirmed closer to delivery.

Why restoring West Beach is a priority

The Adelaide Beach Management Review confirmed that West Beach needs urgent intervention. It identified the need for a large, once-off sand placement to rebuild the beach, followed by smaller, ongoing top-ups each year to keep it stable.

On average, West Beach loses around 90,000 cubic metres of sand each year — roughly the equivalent of 40 Olympic-size swimming pools. Without replacing this sand, the beach continues to narrow and erosion worsens over time.

Why sand is lost from some beaches

Beaches naturally change over time. Waves, wind and storms move sand along the coast.

Along Adelaide’s metropolitan coastline sand slowly moves from south to north, known as the northward drift. As a result, northern beaches gain sand, while central beaches lose it.

Also, major infrastructure such as West Beach Boat Harbour prevents the accumulation of sand on beaches immediately to the north, meaning less natural restoration and relatively increased loss of sand.

The problem we’re facing

When lost sand is not replaced beaches continue to narrow, erosion increases and protection for roads, buildings and beach facilities is reduced.

Over time, erosion can extend to neighbouring beaches, making future management more difficult and costly.

This is why the recent Adelaide Beach Management Review showed that West Beach and Henley Beach South need to be restored with up to 550,000 cubic metres of sand.

Evidence and assessment behind this approach

For decades, the State Government has:

• Studied how sand moves along Adelaide’s coast.
• Tested different sand placement methods, including a 2024 dredging trial.
• Talked with the community.
• Reviewed long-term costs and impacts.

Detailed investigations have confirmed that to manage sand between the northern and central beaches dredging is the most safe and effective way to manage sand going forward. It removes trucks from the beach and has far less impacts on beach users and nearby residents.

You can read more about the investigations on the Adelaide Beach Management Review webpage.

How dredging works

Dredging is one of the most commonly used sand management methods around the world, with working examples in the Netherlands, Singapore and the United States, and closer to home in Port Phillip Bay (Victoria), Busselton (Western Australia), the Tweed River and Gold Coast (Queensland), and the Murray Mouth (South Australia).

Dredging means using a special boat, called a dredge, to collect sand carefully from areas where it naturally builds up on the seabed, and move that sand to beaches that need it.

This approach reuses sand that is already part of the coastal system and avoids removing sand from land or sensitive areas. The exact sand placement locations will be confirmed once detailed plans are finalised.

How sand will be sourced

One-off mass restoration at West Beach

Sand will be collected from north of the Outer Harbor channel breakwater.

Ongoing annual replenishment of Adelaide’s metropolitan beaches

Sand will be safely and sustainably collected from four on-water locations between the Torrens Outlet and Largs North including:

• Largs North
• Semaphore
• Between Grange and Tennyson
• The Torrens Outlet

Review

The replenishment program will be reviewed after 5 and 10 years of operation to check how well the beaches are recovering and whether changes are needed for the future.

Stay informed

You can receive direct updates about coastal management including the replenishment program by subscribing to Coast Update newsletter.

Frequency Asked Questions 

1. Why not use pipelines or trucks?

Different options were carefully considered as part of the Adelaide Beach Management Review. You can read a summary of the findings on the review webpage.

Extended sand pipelines were found to be the most expensive and least flexible option, with the potential to cause long-term disruption to beach users, while using trucks was ruled out as a long-term solution due to noise, traffic, road damage and environmental impacts.

Dredging provides the best balance of cost, flexibility, safety and environmental care.

2. What does this mean if you’re visiting the beach?

Beaches will remain open during the dredging works.

Works are planned to begin in 2027, between April and October. Dredging can operate up to 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The exact timing will be confirmed depending on the operational arrangements and beach needs each year.

You may see dredging equipment offshore during the works between West Beach and Outer Harbour.

There may be short-term impacts on some on-water activities during sand collection and delivery. We will work closely with local clubs, coastal users and businesses to manage the works and minimise any disruption to events or activities.

3. What will dredging look like from the beach?

You may see a large dredge operating on-water between West Beach and Outer Harbour, moving slowly along the coast. At times, a large barge (a flat-bottomed boat) and smaller tugboats may also be visible to move the sand.

Sand is collected from the sea floor by the dredge and transported south, either on the dredge itself or on a barge. It is then pumped through a temporary pipeline or released directly from the barge into the water close to shore, where waves naturally move the sand onto the beach.

4. Will dredging cause or worsen an algal bloom?

There is no link between dredging and the current algal bloom. Conditions will continue to be closely monitored ahead of the dredging program.

5. How will the environment be protected?

All dredging will be licensed and regulated by the Environment Protection Authority and managed under an approved Dredge Management Plan (DMP).

The DMP sets out:

• How dredging and sand placement will occur.
• How impacts to marine life, water quality, public health and local communities will be managed.