Golden Beach foreshore works

• Community Update - 24 April 2026 - TS Onslow seawall nearing completion
• Community Update - TS Onslow staged completion and Christmas construction pause - 15 December 2025
• Community Update - TS Onslow early morning equipment removal - 14 November 2025
• Community Update - TS Onslow concrete pour - 10 September 2025
• Community Update - Golden Beach foreshore works - 11 August 2025
• Community Update (printable) - Golden Beach foreshore works - 11 August 2025
• Community Update - TS Onslow - 4 August 2025
• Community Update - Golden Beach foreshore works - 21 July 2025
• Community Update - TS Onslow - 17 July 2025
• Community Update (printable) - Golden Beach foreshore works update - 17 July 2025
• Community Update - TS Onslow - 17 July 2025
• Community Update - Golden Beach foreshore temporary works - 25 June 2025
• Community Update - Revetment wall repairs at Lamerough Canal entrance, Pelican Waters - 20 June 2025
• Community Update - TS Onslow seawall works underway - 18 June 2025
• Community Update - How we're working to protect the Golden Beach foreshore - 21 May 2025
• Community Update - Esplanade seawall and foreshore works completed - 17 December 2024

Severe storm seasons from 2022 - 2025 have caused rapid changes to Bribie Island and we must act to plan the protection of this well-loved space.

The new seawall is being designed to be adaptable for future conditions like storm surges, high tides, sea level rise and erosion linked to the Bribie Island breakthrough* and predicted climate changes. 

The project also aims to upgrade the stormwater outlets to reduce flooding, renew parts of the coastal pathway, move benches and tables to less vulnerable positions, barbecues, park shade trees, shelters, and linking pathways, to more suitable locations.  

*It's important to note that the Queensland Government manages Bribie Island.

Thanks to the valuable input from our community, we have prepared a draft concept design for the Diamond Head foreshore at Keith Hill Park.

This stage checks that the design reflects what you told us and gives you a chance to help fine tune the plan before we finalise it.

Have your say – Phase 2 engagement

We invite you to review the draft concept design and share your feedback.

Open from: Monday 8 June to Friday 3 July, 5pm

How to get involved

You can:

• View the draft concept design
• Complete a short online survey - visit Have your Say Sunshine Coast website.  
• Tell us what works well and what we should consider
• Meet us in the park: Wednesday 17 June 2026, 9am to 11am, Military Jetty shelter
• Chat with Cr Terry Landsberg and the design team about the project.

Your feedback will help shape the final design. 

Park upgrades will follow seawall construction, subject to funding approval.

About the project

As part of the Bribie Island Breakthrough Action Plan, Council is upgrading the Golden Beach foreshore between Lamerough Canal and the June Street boat ramp.

These works will help protect the coastline from storm surge, high tides and erosion. They will also improve how people use and enjoy this much loved area.

The project will roll out in stages as funding becomes available. Section 1 will focus on the area from Lamerough Canal to the Military Jetty boat ramps.

Key works include:

• A new seawall with upgraded stormwater infrastructure
• Sand renourishment to support a healthier beach
• Improved beach access, including new stairs and a multi-use ramp

Park improvements

Behind the seawall, we are planning upgrades to the park area to make it more usable and resilient.

These include:

• A realigned coastal pathway with improved accessibility
• Relocated and raised seating, shelters and picnic areas to reduce future flood and storm impacts
• New tree planting to restore shade lost in recent shoreline erosion

Together, these upgrades will create a foreshore that is safe, welcoming and built for the future.

What you told us

During Phase 1 engagement, the community shared clear ideas on how Keith Hill Park could better support everyday use.

You told us you want:

• A wider, better aligned coastal pathway
• Easier and more convenient beach access
• Well placed seating and shelters
• More shade and protection of existing trees
• Better protection from future coastal hazards

Your feedback shaped the draft concept design we are now sharing.

Community values guiding the design

The design reflects local feedback and broader community values identified across Golden Beach and Caloundra.

These values include:

• Supporting health and wellbeing
• Protecting and celebrating the natural environment
• Encouraging social connection
• Creating spaces to enjoy the coast

We have balanced these values with technical and environmental requirements to guide the future of the foreshore.

In November and December 2025, we invited our community to review the artist impressions for the foreshore improvements behind the new Diamond Head seawall and share what you think.  

Your input helped shape the design, with changes that matter to the community – including more staircases and access ramps. We’ve also looked for ways to reduce the visual impact of the seawall, so it fits more naturally into the landscape.  

Thanks to the valuable input from our community, we have prepared a draft concept design for the Diamond Head foreshore at Keith Hill Park. This stage checks that the design reflects what you told us and gives you a chance to help fine tune the plan before we finalise it.

Have your say – Phase 2 engagement

We invite you to review the draft concept design and share your feedback.
Open from: Monday 8 June to Friday 3 July, 5pm

How to get involved
You can:

• View the draft concept design
• Complete a short online survey - visit Have your Say Sunshine Coast website.  
• Tell us what works well and what we should consider
• Meet us in the park: Wednesday 17 June 2026, 9am to 11am, Military Jetty shelter
• Chat with the design team about the project.

Your feedback will help shape the final design. 

Park upgrades will follow seawall construction, subject to funding approval.

Council identified key areas requiring intervention through the Bribie Island Breakthrough report (BIB). The endorsed Coastal Hazard Adaptation Strategy (CHAS) and the latest Shoreline Erosion Management Plan (SEMP) have also recommended multiple actions to be undertaken along the entire Golden Beach Foreshore over the next 5-75 years. 

We’ve also developed long-term adaptation options as part of the Coastal Hazard Adaptation Precinct Planning (CHAPP) to reduce the risk of coastal hazards and flooding from Bulcock Beach to Bells Creek. 

The Diamond Head seawall received funding through Round 4 of the QCoast2100 program. 

This is delivered in partnership with LGAQ and is jointly funded by the Australian and Queensland Governments under efficiencies realised through the Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements (DRFA), aimed at supporting priority disaster resilience and mitigation projects across Queensland.    

The seawall will be delivered in sections as funding permits. Section 1 is planned from Lamerough Canal to Military Jetty boat ramps to be completed by the end of 2027.

We’re continuing to seek further funding to be able to construct the entire wall, through State and Federal Government recovery and resilience grant opportunities as we were unsuccessful with our funding request through the Coastline Recovery Package associated with TC Alfred.  

• Design and permits: Mid-2026 
• Construction scheduled to begin: Late-2026 to early-2027 

We’re building a stronger, smarter coastline at Golden Beach. 

Works are now complete, working with the Australian and Queensland governments, rebuilding the seawall to protect the foreshore from Nelson Street to the TS Onslow Naval Cadets site in southern Golden Beach. 

The project will improve access to the beach and water, and reduce coastal impacts to the park area around the TS Onslow Naval Cadets.

Works included building a 208-metre-long rock seawall and concrete stepped wall, constructing two staircases and integrated beach access ramp with added landscaping. 

The TS Onslow site is owned by the Queensland Government and leased by the Navy Cadets. 

Sunshine Coast Council led the project team and worked closely with both parties to deliver this important reconstruction. 

Sunshine Coast Council acknowledges the funding allocation being jointly funded by the Australian and Queensland Governments under the Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements. The Department of Sport, Racing and Olympic and Paralympic Games are administering the disaster funding. 

Our actions focus on protecting Golden Beach foreshore as well as the important community areas like roads, parks, and playgrounds.

The foreshore was initially impacted in the extraordinary weather events of 2021 and 2022.

Conditions at the site deteriorated quickly and erosion along the area subsequently followed due to a lack of protection along this foreshore.

Subsequent widening of the Bribie Island breakthrough has also increased the risk to the TS Onslow site and other parts of Golden Beach to coastal hazards.

Material containing asbestos was also found in 2023 and a cleanup and remediation project was initiated. 

This project aimed to further prevent any asbestos from entering the passage, ensuring public safety is maintained. 

A seawall will help to “cap” this material and also prevent erosion along the foreshore.

 It also aimed to reconstruct the damaged boat ramp at the Navy Cadets site and improve the parklands and beach accessibility.

Surrounding infrastructure such as roads, electricity water and sewerage infrastructure will also be protected by the new seawall.

As part of this project, we:

• constructed a new 170-metre seawall from the northern extent of the site down to the mangroves south of the site
• constructed a new 4-metre-wide pedestrian and vehicle ramp at the northern end of the site with terraces to allow for seating and viewing
• reconstructed the damaged boat ramp at the Navy Cadets site along with minor landscaping and improvements to the open space
• retained and preserved the beach area, and pushed sand back over the base of the new seawall, ramps and stairs
• removed the old foreshore protection structures in front of the TS Onslow site, such as the large concrete blocks
• upgraded a stormwater pipe within the small geosynthetic bag groyne to a large rock type structure, fitted with a duckbill backflow device, to prevent sand blockages and nuisance flooding in future years.

Sunshine Coast Council acknowledges the funding allocation was jointly funded by the Australian and Queensland Governments under the Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements.

The Department of Sport, Racing and Olympic and Paralympic Games administered the disaster funding.

Australian Marine and Civil (AMC) was the successful tenderer. 

Royal Haskoning DHV was the lead consultant for design and permits. Manly Hydraulics Laboratories (MHL) was engaged to perform physical modelling to test for wave overtopping and structure damage on the proposed design.

The project design factored in a 300mm increase to the tidal range in the Passage caused by the Bribie Island breakthrough, along with projected sea level rise of 0.5m by 2070.

We remain vigilant in responding to the impacts of the regular tidal inundation.  

Due to the nature of tidal inundation, sand and debris will often be present within the open space and Council is attending as resources permit. This includes removing sand from the much-loved coastal pathway so our community can continue to enjoy beautiful recreational experiences in this amazing part of the Sunshine Coast.  

Should you notice any hazards please report to Council on 5475 7272 or via the SCC app.

We know dead plants and wood has washed up along the shoreline. 

This woody debris is classified as a marine plant and is protected under the Fisheries Act 1994. 

Council can’t remove it from the beaches unless it is determined as an immediate safety risk to the public.

Did you know this woody debris is actually an important part of the coastal environment? It acts to protect the coastline, hold sand in place and help the beach repair quicker.

Severe storm seasons from events since 2022 - 2025 have caused and rapid changes to Bribie Island and we must act to plan the protection of this well-loved space.

We have contracted coastal engineering firm JB Pacific to complete detailed design work for coastal protection works and drainage improvements at Diamond Head.

We listened closely to the feedback shared during last year’s seawall consultation. Your input helped shape the design, with changes that matter to the community – including more staircases and access ramps. We’ve also looked for ways to reduce the visual impact of the seawall, so it fits more naturally into the landscape.  

Design and permits are expected to be completed by mid-2026 and the first stage of works is expected to start around late-2026 to early-2027.

In response to the Coastal Hazard Adaptation Strategy (CHAS) we are carefully investigating how to manage important coastal areas through Coastal Hazard Adaptation Precinct Planning (CHAPP) investigations at Golden Beach and Caloundra (Bulcock Beach).

As part of these investigations, from 28 October to 25 November 2024 we invited our community to provide input on coastal spaces, how they use them, their values, and their ideas on how they might be adapted against coastal hazards and flooding. Participants contributed their thoughts via an online submission form, at workshops and pop-up events, and via email.

To find out more about the engagement outcomes, including some of the key concerns and ideas raised by our community for Golden Beach and Caloundra (Bulcock Beach), visit Council’s Have your Say website or view the engagement summary.

Bribie Island is part of a National Park, and Pumicestone Passage lies within the Moreton Bay Marine Park, both managed by the State Government.

The Queensland Government is responsible for managing and monitoring Bribie Island. Sunshine Coast Council offers support to the Queensland Government as needed.

To enhance protection of Golden Beach and the Pumicestone Passage, the Queensland Government and their contractors undertook emergency dredging works to address the southern breakthroughs and buffer Bribie Island. 

The works were informed by independent expert recommendations and community feedback gathered during recent consultation. 

These emergency works are now complete and the State Government is underway with their Stage 2 planning. 

To enhance protection of Golden Beach and the Pumicestone Passage, the Queensland Government and their contractors undertook emergency dredging works to address the southern breakthroughs and buffer Bribie Island. 

The works were informed by independent expert recommendations and community feedback gathered during recent consultation. 

These emergency works are now complete and the Queensland Government is underway with its Stage 2 planning. 

Visit the Coordinator-General's webpage: Bribie Island emergency works. 
Contact the Bribie Island Emergency Works project team: 
E: [email protected] 
T: 1800 316 378 (Monday to Friday, 8.30am – 5pm). 

Independent review of Bribie Island Breakthrough 

The Queensland Government is leading the Bribie Island erosion and breakthrough review because they manage Bribie Island. 

Please refer to their website for more information.  

To help protect the area before the seawall is built, we completed a range of temporary works which form part of the broader strategic approach.  

These temporary measures were designed to strengthen the area while longer-term solutions are planned. 

We appreciated our community’s patience while these important works were carried out. Keeping Golden Beach safe and enjoyable for everyone is our top priority. 

• Sandstone wall construction
• Pathway realignments
• Rock placements in key foreshore areas
• Apex Park - regular cleaning
• Stormwater outlet extensions

We reconstructed a new seawall with adaptation to future climate hazards in mind, between Jellicoe and Nelson Streets, Golden Beach. 

This project is one of the ways Council is carefully managing our coastline to protect and preserve it now and into the future. 

The project included: 

• reconstructing and raising approximately 80 linear metres of the existing seawall using grouted rock 
• installing special concrete tiles to create a ‘living seawall’ with habitat for sea creatures 
• reconstructing and upgrading the coastal footpath
• a new stairway to access the foreshore 
• reinstating the barbecue shelter, benches and a wheelchair accessible binoculars station 
• reinstating the parkland and planting. 

The project was part of a trial with the University of the Sunshine Coast and the Local Government Association of Queensland (LGAQ) to install and monitor a ‘living seawall’. 

A $300,000 grant was provided to Council from the LGAQ towards building the new raised seawall and including the living seawall elements. 

We attached 100 tiles to the side of the Golden Beach seawall to create an enticing home for sea creatures. 

Because the constructed seawall surface is relatively smooth, the aim of the ‘living seawall’ tiles is to help mimic the natural coastal habitat, encouraging seaweed to grow and creating a home for fish and other marine life. 

The Golden Beach seawall and foreshore project was completed with the support of the Queensland Government’s LGAQ QCoast₂₁₀₀ Program in association with Sunshine Coast Council.