New sand arrives onto Sunshine Coast beaches

From May to September, around 100,000 cubic meters of sand will be pumped onto the stretch between the Cotton Tree groynes and the Alexandra Headland seawall as part a vital renourishment program, Sunshine Coast Council said.

Sunshine Coast Council Principal Coastal Engineer, Georgia Keeshan, said taht the renourishment program had been in place since 2013, returning sand lost from the beach during weather events. 

“Every two years, we gather sand from the lower Maroochy River using a dredge and an existing pipeline, then booster pumps help move it back along the beach,” Ms Keeshan said. 

“Our coastal modelling shows that Maroochydore Beach is particularly prone to storm erosion and often loses more sand than is returned during storms.”

To ensure the full volume of sand is returned to the beach, the Council has applied for a permit to extend its program into October if needed and enable sand to be sourced from a slightly wider area of the river. 

The new sand will be pumped onto the beach from the lower Maroochy River using a small cutter suction dredger (CSD). 

Works will take place along the shoreline between beach access points 143 (Cotton Tree) and 156 (Alex Skate Park).