Sand replenishment at Oriental Bay set for next week

Sand replenishment at Oriental Bay is set to start next week to restore Wellington’s most popular beaches 22 years on from the initial development, Wellington City Council said.

The work, costing around $790,000, follows a similar process to the first replenishment in 2015, said project manager, Joel De Boer.

“It has been more than 20 years since Oriental Bay was reshaped into the beaches we know and love today, but the impact from waves, storms and wind means sand is always on the move,” De Boer said.

“Replenishing it from time to time is an important part of keeping the beaches looking beautiful for everyone to enjoy – especially with summer hopefully just around the corner.”

The original enhancement project in 2003 placed 16,100 m³ of sand along the bay, but natural processes were expected to shift 100–400 m³ each year. By 2014, beach sand levels had dropped as expected, prompting the first top-up in 2015.

Monitoring shows that the sand has now returned to pre-2015 levels, and replenishment is needed again.

The project will start on September 29 and is estimated to take three-weeks.