‘Acting now’ to protect our coastline and communities

Sunshine Coast Council is partnering with the Australian and Queensland governments to re-construct the seawall from Nelson Street to the TS Onslow Naval Cadets site at Golden Beach.

The foreshore was initially impacted by the extraordinary weather events of 2021 and 2022, with subsequent widening of the Bribie Island breakthrough increasing the coastal hazard risk to the site and other parts of Golden Beach.

Sunshine Coast Council Division 2 Councillor Terry Landsberg said the project was another way Council and the Queensland Government were carefully managing our coastline to protect and preserve it now and into the future.

“Here on the Sunshine Coast, our coastline is part of our lifestyle,” Cr Landsberg said.

“This project will protect the valuable park, coastal pathway and road near the seawall from coastal hazards,” Cr Landsberg said.

“It will also provide better access to the water, with overall beach and waterway access increasing to two new staircases and two 4-metre-wide ramps.

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

“We’ll also reconstruct the damaged boat ramp at the Navy Cadets site, enhance the surrounding parklands, improve beach accessibility and the coastal pathway along the Esplanade.”

Artist impression only: new reconstructed boat ramp at the TS Onslow Naval Cadets site in southern Golden Beach.

A seawall fit for purpose

Cr Landsberg explained that a physical seawall model was built and tested at Manly Hydraulics Laboratory to optimise the design to make sure it was the most suitable size for this location.

“The modelling and testing helped confirm the seawall is designed to be fit for purpose to protect against storms and waves in this location,” Cr Landsberg said.

Most of the seawall length will be a combination of placed rock and concrete walls, as this design is easily adaptable in the future by adding extra layers of rock or higher walls.

The northern section will feature sandstone-coloured concrete benches with a 4-metre-wide beach access ramp, which will provide excellent beach accessibility for the community to enjoy swimming and a range of water sports.

“Council and the Queensland Government are acting now to protect our coastline and coastal communities from the impacts of coastal erosion,” Cr Landsberg said.

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

“This project also aims to further prevent any asbestos from entering the passage, ensuring public safety is maintained.”

Artist impression only: rock seawall and concrete stepped wall with integrated beach access ramp, protecting the foreshore from Nelson Street to the TS Onslow Naval Cadets site.

What to expect

Works are expected to start in mid-June and be completed by early December 2025, weather depending.

An exclusion zone will be established around the site for public safety, with signed detours for pedestrian safety. 

You will still be able to enjoy the coastal pathway and the beach in front of Beach Access 319a, and access businesses nearby.

Be aware there’ll be some noise and temporary changes to parking.

Sunshine Coast Council would like to acknowledge 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.

For more information on the project including answers to frequently asked questions, visit Council’s project website.

You can also subscribe to receive emailed updates on the project.

Thumbs up from the community (and sea creatures!)

The Golden Beach community is enjoying the improvements to the foreshore at the recently completed reconstructed seawall between Jellicoe and Nelson Streets, Golden Beach.

The new seawall was installed with specially designed habitat tiles, part of a trial with the University of the Sunshine Coast and the Queensland Government funded QCoast₂₁₀₀ Program 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.

This new seawall is helping safeguard the parkland and footpath from damage caused by storm surges, sea level rise and coastal erosion.

The project included reconstructing and raising approximately 80 metres of the existing seawall using grouted rock and installing special concrete tiles which aim to create a ‘living seawall’ with habitat for marine creatures.

Council also reconstructed and upgraded the coastal footpath with matching hardwood and stainless-steel handrail, a new stairway to access the foreshore, reinstated the barbecue shelter, benches and a wheelchair accessible binoculars station for locals and visitors to continue to enjoy the views out to Bribie Island and the shorebirds.

Bribie Island breakthrough

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.

Council welcomes the State Government’s recent announcement of an independent review of the Bribie Island breakthrough led by coastal engineering experts RPS and International Coastal Management. We also welcome the State Government’s strong focus on consultation with the local community to ensure your concerns are heard.

The Review Terms of Reference are available on the Queensland Government website with the project to be finalised by the end of August 2025. 

Long-term vision

Sunshine Coast Council is actively preparing for current and future coastal changes.

Council’s long-term strategies and plans focus on sustainable practices for coastline resilience into the future.

• Environment and Liveability Strategy - Sets strategic directions to 2041 for a healthy coastline resilient to climate change impacts and supporting sustainable use.
• Healthy Coast Management Plan Council has begun work on the Healthy Coast Management Plan, bringing together our coastal strategies, plans and actions to guide how we manage our coastal areas.
• Coastal Hazard Adaptation Strategy – Outlines an adaptation pathway to help manage impacts of coastal hazards such as coastal erosion, storm tide inundation and expanding tidal areas due to sea level rise.
• Shoreline Erosion Management Plan – Council is updating the Shoreline Erosion Management Plan, which key coastal processes, identifies Council assets at risk from coastal hazards and outlines preferred actions to manage coastal erosion.

These long-term strategies guide Council’s daily on-ground actions that play a crucial role in maintaining the health of our coastline for everyone to enjoy.