A visiting dredging vessel has impressed beachgoers by spraying a rainbow of sand, but it’s not the first time the unusual beach replenishing technique has been used on the Sunshine Coast.
TSHD Brisbane is taking part in a nearshore nourishment trial, bringing 40,000 cubic metres of sand from Moreton Bay and scattering it into the water about 300m off the Maroochydore shoreline.
It’s hoped the trial, which started last week and was due to end on November 24, could pave the way for larger quantities of sand to be placed there to restore the area.
Long-term locals could recall similar scenes from decades ago.
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Brian Russell was involved in the same sort of work on the Sunshine Coast more than 30 years ago.
“Readers may gain the impression that this technique is something totally new and being trialled on the Sunshine Coast,” he said.
“But this technique has in fact been used successfully for many decades and has actually been used on Sunshine Coast beaches before, and some of your more senior readers will remember the occasions.
“I was the senior dredgemaster in Sir Thomas Hiley, the Port of Brisbane trailer suction dredger used at the time, and was involved in the work done at Kings Beach, Caloundra in October 1988 and on some beach areas at the Noosa National Park in November 1988.
“The first time the method was tried using the STH was at Woorim in May 1988.
“The method was not new to the dredging world, but it was the first time it had been tried by Port of Brisbane.”
“The technique has been used numerous times since the mid-80s, to replenish Woorim Beach on Bribie Island, the last being performed within the last couple of years.”
Mr Russell said the same operation was conducted at Bilinga Beach on the Gold Coast in 1989.
He retired when the Sir Thomas Hiley was essentially replaced by TSHD Brisbane in 2000. He went on to compile a book on the vessel.
Sunshine Coast News approached the Port of Brisbane for more information on the historical over-the-bow rainbow sand dispersal operations on the Sunshine Coast, but PoB said it had very limited information from the 1980s, other than to confirm they had photos and that the operations took place.
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