West Beach SA Replenishment Update

The SA Department for Environment and Water has just announced that sand movement from Semaphore to West Beach will restart tomorrow (10 March).

This is part of ongoing beach replenishment by the State Government.

As sand along Adelaide’s coast naturally moves northward via wind and waves, it causes a build-up on northern beaches such as Semaphore and erodes southern and central beaches such as West Beach and Henley Beach South.

The State Government is delivering the “Securing the Future of our Coastline” initiative, a long-term solution to restore and maintain the sand at eroding beaches, including West Beach and Henley Beach South.

As part of the initiative, a sand recycling pipeline will be built from Semaphore to West Beach and about 500,000 cubic meters of external sand will be imported to make up for sand losses over the years.

In the interim, while the main components are being designed and delivered, sand is being moved from areas of accumulation at Semaphore to replenish critically eroded areas at West Beach.

Sand collection from the Semaphore South breakwater will start on 10 March, while collection of sand from between the Semaphore and Largs Bay jetties will begin on 16 March.

All works are scheduled to be completed by 9 April (the start of the Easter break).