Council to deal with erosion on Magnetic

RESTORATION work is being done at a popular Magnetic Island beach to address recent erosion.

Townsville City Council crews worked to restore the foreshore at Horseshoe Bay yesterday and will continue today.

High tides, strong northerly winds and stormwater have damaged the foreshore over the past week, making access to the beach more difficult.

The work will include using a skid- steer loader to move sand and cover exposed roots.

It comes as the council investigates a longer- term solution to the problem, including a embedded rock wall.

Division 3 councillor AnnMaree Greaney said the restoration work was important to ensure the area was safe for all beachgoers and to reduce the impact of similar weather conditions in the future.

“Horseshoe Bay is one of Magnetic Island’s most popular spots for swimming and other water sports, so it’s important that we look after it,” she said.

“The conditions in the last week or so have meant that there has been some damage to the foreshore which is making it more difficult for people to access the beach.

“It’s important that we do this work now to make sure the area is safe for visitors, especially with the busy Australia Day long weekend just around the corner.”

This week’s restoration is a follow- up to work completed in October last year, while more work is planned for February or March.

Those works include moving sand at the southern end of the bay to the main beach in front of the park. The beach will stay open during the work.