Work is set to start on designing the replacement of a 50-year-old seawall.
Contractors will begin inspecting the seawall at Noosa’s Main Beach during May, as the first step in what will be a long-term project to replace the structure.
The current seawall was built during the 1970s and has helped protect the Hastings Street precinct from storm tide erosion and severe weather.
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Noosa Council’s infrastructure services director Shaun Walsh said contractors from NorthLane Engineering Consultants would undertake the design investigations.
“Beachgoers, restaurant staff and patrons may see some activity around the seawall, which is along the back of the beach, as contractors inspect the structure and begin the process of producing a design for a new seawall,” he said.
Mr Walsh said the new designs would help boost the precinct’s protections against the elements.
“This process will give us plans for a replacement structure that is better able to withstand the sort of severe weather and storm tide events we expect to see in future, to substantially boost the heavily trafficked Hastings Street precinct’s climate resilience,” he said.
“NorthLane has assembled a specialist team to develop a design, partnering with coastal engineering experts Port and Coastal Solutions and structural specialists OSE Group to balance protecting the coast with preserving Main Beach’s natural character.”
He said there would be no disruptions during the design investigations.
“Many people may not even be aware it’s there along the back of the beach as it’s typically covered by sand, but the important job it does becomes clear when severe weather and storm tides erode the sand, exposing the structure,” he said.
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Mr Walsh said only the design work was funded, with any construction work still a long way off and subject to extensive stakeholder and community engagement.
“The replacement isn’t currently part of council’s funded capital program, but having a design ready to go means we can make cost projections and grant funding applications to help fund any future replacement,” he said.
The design project is jointly funded by Noosa Council and the Australian Government’s Disaster Ready Fund, which aims to increase the resilience and preparedness of communities while reducing the risk of harm caused by disasters.
