copyright manuel smith 2006 High rise living – apartments and holiday accommodation Nerang River Canal estates a few metres above sea level Recreation facilities attracting more than one million visitors in a summer

copyright manuel smith 2006

S u r f e r s P a r a d i s e B u r l e i g h H e a d s T w e e d H e a d s Longshore drift Queensland NSW

copyright manuel smith 2006 The spit The Broadwater Main Beach Gold Coast Hinterland

copyright manuel smith 2006 Loss of amenity – beaches are important for tourism and tourist operators Building on the foredunes –roads and buildings Erosion of the main beaches especially during cyclonic storms Lack of sand supply to maintain the beaches Destruction of the high amenity value of the coast – tourists want a wide and clean beach with plenty of sand Need for protective works to prevent erosion of the foreshore and infrastructure

Nerang River

copyright manuel smith storm

copyright manuel smith 2006 Building on the foredune – reservoir of sand

Impedance of sand flow In the late 1970s the Tweed Heads Training walls were built to open up the entrance to the Tweed River to allow boats to enter easily Qld - Coolangatta NSW – Tweed Heads In the 80s and 90s conflict has occurred between NSW and Qld and the Gold Coast and Tweed Head Councils over who is responsible for impeding the sand flow

copyright manuel smith 2006

Loss of sand supply to the Gold Coast beaches – no sand to drift north Erosion of the southern beaches such as Kirra Beach Need to establish beach replenishment progams and storm prevention measures – bypass the Tweed Heads Training walls Construction of offshore reef in Settlement of claims between States Longshore drift South to North South of Tweed Heads

copyright manuel smith 2006 Sand pumped onto the beach by pipes under the dunes

copyright manuel smith 2006 Longshore Drift Burleigh Heads

copyright manuel smith 2006 Kirra groyne removed in 2000

copyright manuel smith 2006 Cause of problem Sand build up behind Tweed Heads breakwater After 2 years of sand pumping

copyright manuel smith 2006 Dune scarp and erosion May 1995 Replenishment and dune management A concern for some time

copyright manuel smith 2006 Sand pumping onto Kirra Beach Sand is pumped from the South at Tweed Heads onto the beach at Kirra Sand is pumped to Main Beach from the Southport spit

copyright manuel smith 2006 Offshore reef Increased width of beach Success or failure Beach width has increased significantly and provided more material for dune preservation Created one of the best artificial surf breaks in the world – Surfers are overjoyed Has reduced the cost of sand nourishment programs Total cost about $8-10million

copyright manuel smith 2006 Sand replenishment has been going on for 30 plus years to maintain a wide sandy beach along the 42 km section of the coast from Tweed Heads to the Broadwater Dune systems have been created to build up sand reserves on the coast – revegetation programs are always in a constant state of maintenance Since 1970 the Gold Coast Council and Queensland Government have outlaid $40 plus million on beach replenishment and nourishment NSW agreed to provide compensation of $20 million to Queensland for loss of sand from the Tweed Heads training walls. They also agreed to maintain the bypassing system by pumping 500,000 cu metres of sand per year onto the Gold Coast Beaches. $8 million to build and $750,000 per year to maintain. It is estimated between 10 and 15 million cubic metres of sand is also required to offset the potential storm damage.

How can the Gold Coast afford it? Being Australias most popular tourist destination, rates, taxes and charges allow the Gold Coast Council funds to manage the system as they see fit. The amenity is larger, more popular and significant to the locals and tourists. Cyclonic storms in summer are more severe than in other locations so the potential for damage is huge. High rise buildings of many storeys hold a greater value than many other coastal locations, therefore there is a much greater need to provide protective works against storms. Part of this is a healthy beach/dune system.

copyright manuel smith 2006 In the 1970s and 80s it was fashionable in Australia to lie on the beach and sunbake. Residents and tourists alike, complained about the high rise apartments and hotels casting shadows on the beach stopping them from sunbaking in the afternoons. In the 1990s with the high incidence of skin cancer and an increasing awareness by the public of spending hours in the sun damaging your skin; the shade in the afternoon has become a highly valued amenity. It is an attraction and feature advertised in some brochures on the Gold Coast.

copyright manuel smith 2006 Australias highest apartment tower Australias most expensive island land

copyright manuel smith 2006