Beach Projects Bring Benefits to Rockingham

The City of Rockingham’s beaches draw visitors from near and far throughout summer, but during winter, storms and wild weather can deplete the quantity of sand available for the next season. So, every year the City selects various beaches for sand renourishment as part of its ongoing beach monitoring and management program.

The choice of locations is based upon the severity and direction of winter storms and the localized erosion that occurs. This program directly assists in the protection of the coastline and maintaining the integrity of the beaches.

Due to the environmental and recreational importance of the waters of the Shoalwater Island Marine Park, as well as the seagrass beds and beaches in Warnbro Sound and Cockburn Sound, this approach to coastal adaption and protection is supported by State agencies, including the Department of Parks and Wildlife, and Department of Transport.

Sand renourishment in the Safety Bay and Warnbro areas does not adversely impact on the facilities further north, including the boat ramp, or the shallow body of water known as the ‘Pond’.
This process is occurring naturally from an offshore sand feed pulsing through the Garden Island Ridge in a north-east direction between Becher Point (Port Kennedy) and Safety Bay foreshore.

The sand accretion is moving towards land at an average rate of 2,500m3 to 3,000m3 per year.

The sand build-up occurring on Tern Bank and along part of the Safety Bay foreshore impacts on the natural sediment movement and replenishment of the Waikiki/Warnbro foreshore, so these beaches need to be renourished regularly.

The beach renourishment program directly assists in providing an important buffer to the erosion occurring along our beaches,” said City of Rockingham Mayor Barry Sammels. “Along with other coastal adaption projects and strategies it plays a vital role in the City’s overall coastal management program.”

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Press Release