copyright manuel smith 2006 high rise living – apartments and holiday accommodation nerang river...

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


Surfers ParadiseBurleigh Heads

Tweed Heads

Longshore drift

QueenslanQueenslandd

NSWNSW


The spit

The Broadwater

Main Beach

Gold Coast Hinterland


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


1967 1967 stormstorm


Building on the foredune – reservoir of sand


Impedance of sand Impedance of sand

flowflow In the late 1970’s 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 80’s and 90’s conflict has occurred between NSW and Qld and the Gold Coast and Tweed Head Councils over who is responsible for impeding the sand flow


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 2000-01

Settlement of claims between States

Longshore drift

South to North

South of Tweed Heads


Sand pumped onto the beach by pipes Sand pumped onto the beach by pipes under the dunesunder the dunes


Longshore Drift

Burleigh Burleigh HeadsHeads


Kirra groyne Kirra groyne removed in 2000removed in 2000


Cause of problemCause of problem

Sand build up Sand build up behind Tweed behind Tweed Heads Heads breakwaterbreakwater

19991999 20032003

After 2 years of sand pumpingAfter 2 years of sand pumping


Dune scarp and erosion May 1995

Replenishment and dune managementA concern for some

time


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


Offshore

reefIncreased width of beach

Success or failureSuccess 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


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?How can the Gold Coast afford it?

Being Australia’s 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.


In the 1970’s and 80’s 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 1990’s 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.


Australia’s highest Australia’s highest apartment towerapartment tower

Australia’s most Australia’s most expensive island landexpensive island land

copyright manuel smith 2006 high rise living – apartments and holiday accommodation nerang river...

Documents

copyright manuel smith

sand flow slide

storm slide

summer slide

time slide

infrastructure slide

kirra beach sand

years of sand pumping