Protecting Cable Beach foreshore

The redevelopment of the Cable Beach foreshore is one step closer after Broome Shire Councillors endorsed new coastal protection measures at the latest Council meeting.

Cable Beach is a world-class tourism attraction but lacks surrounding infrastructure and the Shire has plans to redevelop the foreshore to improve the precinct’s amenities.

Protection options and geotechnical investigations have been undertaken to inform the development of six potential mitigation measures.

At the meeting, two options were endorsed – sand nourishment and the implementation of an exposed geotextile sand container revetment.

Sand nourishment is based on increasing the coastal dune buffer using sand and will require ongoing coastal monitoring and maintenance of erosion buffers to be effective.

The sand container revetment will help to protect the existing dune system by providing a more robust dune edge and is a method used frequently in other coastal areas of Australia.

“It is important to note there will be minimal impact to the current dune system, while the other options that were not endorsed would have had a more significant environmental, aesthetic and cultural impact,” the council said.

Also, by endorsing two appropriate protection options, the council has pledged to explore these measures in more detail and flexibility is provided on how the upgrades can be implemented.

The council decision comes after the State Government announced a $68,988 grant earlier, with the money to be used in the detailed design stage of the project.