Work is about to commence on a new seawall that will replace the existing structure, which has been damaged by severe weather.
From Monday, Sunshine Coast Council will begin reconstructing the seawall that protects Moffat Beach Park from the ocean.
The seawall needs to be rebuilt after the western section was damaged by severe weather and rainfall in 2022, and the middle section was impacted in early 2024, contributing to rock falls at the cliff of the headland.
The landscape plan for the project has also been finalised, after council’s ‘have your say’ page had almost 3000 visits and 117 formal submissions were made.
The design includes a car park realignment to create more open space behind the seawall, after receiving about 75 per cent support.
Picnic tables, seating benches, beach accesses and showers, garden bed areas and tree plantings will be reinstated.
Related story: ‘Hybrid’ seawall design aims to save beloved pine trees
Succession planting – where new trees are planted near existing trees, ready to take their place – will not be part of the plan, after some complexities around the concept were realised.
Sunshine Coast Division 2 councillor Terry Landsberg said that while some of the park and car park would be taken up by the construction zone, Moffat Beach would still be open for business.
“While we recognise there may be some short-term inconvenience, we encourage everyone to keep the much-needed end result in mind,” he said.
“We also encourage our community to continue supporting all local businesses during construction.”
“When it’s finished, we will have a strong seawall, built to modern engineering standards that is resilient to climate change and a refreshed parkland and open space – in other words, a fantastic result that will protect and enhance the unique Moffat Beach vibe for many years to come.
“Thank you to the Moffat Beach Community Focus Group representatives for being part of the journey, sharing insights and having constructive discussions on the issues and opportunities the seawall reconstruction project has presented.
“They played an important role, ensuring the voices of the local community were heard and considered as part of the final outcome.
“With construction beginning soon, we again thank everyone for their patience, understanding, and continued support as we begin this exciting chapter.”
A council press release said construction is due to be complete at the end of 2025 or early 2026, weather and site conditions permitting.
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It said rebuilding a seawall is a significant undertaking and working in the tidal zone is very challenging, and that the reconstruction will take longer and is more complex due to designing the seawall around the iconic Norfolk Island Pine trees.
There will be some temporary access restrictions in the park and on the beach due to construction activities.
Residents can expect to see trucks bringing in materials, excavators on the beach building the seawall, contractors performing tasks such as concreting and staircase construction, with some noise and vibration expected.
There will also be less parking available during construction.
