New artist’s impressions and design details have been released for a major project along an exposed stretch of the Sunshine Coast.
The community has been invited to have their say on refined plans for the Diamond Head foreshore, behind a soon-to-be-constructed seawall that is expected to help protect the area from erosion.
Revised maps and illustrations that show beach access points, park furniture and a wide coastal pathway were released on June 8.
A Sunshine Coast Council spokesperson said the project was much needed.
“We’re working hard to protect and preserve the beautiful foreshore along Diamond Head at Golden Beach, so it keeps the character and values our community loves,” the spokesperson said.
“Severe storm seasons from 2022-2025 have caused rapid changes to Bribie Island and we must act to plan the protection of this well-loved space.
“The new seawall is being designed to be adaptable for future conditions like storm surges, higher tides, sea level rise and erosion linked to the Bribie Island breakthrough and predicted climate changes.
“The project also aims to upgrade the stormwater outlets to reduce flooding, renew parts of the coastal pathway, move benches and tables to less vulnerable positions, barbecues, park shade trees, shelters and linking pathways to more suitable locations.”
Construction is set to start by early next year.
Community members initially reviewed artist’s impressions for proposed foreshore improvements, behind the planned seawall, late last year.
They can now have their say on refined designs, until July 3.
“We listened closely to the feedback shared and this input helped shape the design, with changes that matter to the community, including more staircases and access ramps,” the council spokesperson said.
“We’ve also looked for ways to reduce the visual impact of the seawall, so it fits more naturally into the landscape.”
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The Diamond Head seawall northern section has received funding from all levels of government through the Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements, which are aimed at supporting priority disaster resilience and mitigation projects across Queensland.
The seawall will be delivered in sections as funding permits.
Section 1, from Lamerough Canal to Military jetty boat ramps, is expected to be completed by the end of 2027.
“We’re continuing to seek further funding to be able to construct the entire wall, through state and federal government recovery and resilience grant opportunities, as we were unsuccessful with our funding request through the Coastline Recovery Package associated with TC Alfred.”
Some emergency, temporary works were previously carried out at Diamond Head to address the immediate impacts of breakthrough and elevated tide levels.
Other stretches of Golden Beach have also been in focus.
The seawall has been reconstructed between Nelson Street and the TS Onslow Naval Cadets site, and the seawall has been upgraded between Jellicoe and Nelson streets.
Degraded geotextile bag grounds have been replaced with rock structures at Oxley Street, Leichardt Street, Wills Avenue and Jellicoe Street, while planning is underway for coastal adaptation for Bulcock Beach.
The coastal works are being delivered while the state government continues works to bolster Bribie Island.
Emergency works have included filling two breakthroughs with more than 1.1 million cubic metres of dredged sand, opening a channel in the Pumicestone Passage and constructing an extensive sand erosion buffer that is now about 5m high, and building a sand fence.
