Reef to save homes
Palm Beach surfers also to benefit
A WORLD first $21.6 million artificial reef planned to stop Palm Beach from falling into the ocean includes juicy details for surfers, according to council documents.
The city council has called for expressions of interest from companies to build a reef that would reduce erosion on the Gold Coast’s most vulnerable stretch of coastline while producing quality surfing waves.
The council brief states the rocky reef should be “optimised for surfing amenity” and produce a “favourable crest orientation” for the southeasterly swells that hit the Gold Coast.
The 200m wide and 600m long reef would be built off the section of coastline between 11th Ave and 19th Ave at Palm Beach, where significant scarping occurred in recent storm seasons.
The documents also reveal the council wants the project to begin in September this year before being completed by November next year.
“Further significant erosion of Palm Beach will result in damage to public infrastructure, property, and City of Gold Coast’s image, reputation and tourism,” the council brief says.
Mayor Tom Tate said the project was primarily about protecting people and property.
“It is part of our multimillion-dollar beach protection program along the entire coastline,” Cr Tate said.
But due to the council’s surf management plan, the brief said the project would “appropriately consider surfing amenity as part of the final project solution” and “maintain or enhance in beach and surfing amenity”.
Scarping was visible at beaches along the Gold Coast this week as a strong swell smashed the coastline for the sixth day in a row yesterday.
Cr Tate said beaches had held up well to the pounding following a $13.9 million beach nourishment project last year, which used a dredge for several months. “Thank God we did it,” he said.
Chief lifeguard Warren Young said he would make the call whether to open beaches this morning after wild conditions closed beaches across the city yesterday following a hazardous surf warning from the Bureau of Meteorology.