A key part of a multimillion-dollar foreshore upgrade along the Sunshine Coast’s main beach is on the verge of being completed.
The main section of a new terraced seawall at Mooloolaba should be opened to the public within days or weeks: about three months later than initially expected.
A project update, on July 29, stated that the area was almost ready.
“With sunny skies finally here and the finishing works able to be completed, we’re very close to opening the first section of terraced seawall in front of the surf club in early August,” it read.
It said workers would carry out the “finishing touches … including removal of the construction access track, rocks and any other debris and reinstatement of sand over the lower terraces”.
The section includes up to a dozen levels of tiered seating, with Pandanus trees and plants installed in pockets of the wall.
Works have been repeatedly delayed.
The project team stated in February that construction was “complex” and “highly technical”, with the concrete elements taking longer than initially forecast to shape and cure, and the opening of the section was rescheduled to May.
The team then stated in early June that wet weather from March to May, along with some material supply delays had “slightly impacted progress” and the section could be opened by July. But that’s pushed out by another month.
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The entire terraced seawall will ultimately extend 290m along Mooloolaba Beach, replacing a 50-year-old vertical wall.
It is part of the Moooloolaba Foreshore Revitalisation Project Stage 2 (Central Meeting Place and the Southern Parkland seawall), which received funding of more than $13 million from state and federal governments.
Stage 2 works are in progress at multiple locations along the beachfront.
“This includes additional seawall terraces with more trees and vegetation for shade, beach access points (and) new public amenities and coastal pathways, transforming the area into a more accessible, resilient and welcoming beachfront destination,” the latest project update stated.
“Major construction (of Stage 2) remains on track for anticipated project completion in early 2027 (March), weather and site conditions permitting.”
The foreshore revitalisation includes four stages.
Stage 1, the Northern Parkland, was completed in 2022. It includes a hectare or revitalised parkland incorporating a raised boardwalk and new amenities.
Stages 3 and 4, the Southern Parkland and Central Parkland, are set to follow but a time frame has not been determined and is subject to funding. Those stages could include upgrade works north and south of the Stage 2 site.
