What Swash did
- Sunshine Coast Council engaged Swash to draft dredging and beach nourishment technical specifications for the Maroochydore and Mooloolaba beach nourishment projects.
- As part of this review, Council was seeking better value for money through efficient dredging works, as well as tighter control around items such as scheduling, dredging/placement locations, guaranteed minimum volumes and quality assurance processes.
- Swash undertook a thorough review of various dredging technical specifications released through various state and local government agencies, as well as port and waterway authorities.
- These technical specifications have been successfully implemented, and Swash continues to support Sunshine Coast Council through review and preparation of revised canal maintenance dredging technical specifications.
About the project
Sunshine Coast Council periodically renourishes Maroochydore beach. The extent of beach nourishment is approximately two kilometres from the sandbag groynes to the north to the Alexandra Headland Surf Life Saving Club to the south.
This involves the mobilisation and demobilisation of a cutter suction dredge into the Maroochy River mouth and dredging of up to 100,000 m3 of sand every two years through an existing 400mm diameter pipeline located in the dunes. Renourishment usually occurs between the months of April to September.
Sunshine Coast Council also has a requirement for renourishing the beach along the Mooloolaba foreshore for erosion protection measures. These works are undertaken annually and typically require around 15,000 m3 of sand onto Mooloolaba Beach via a cutter suction dredge and associated pipeline.
Dredging volume
The Maroochydore and Mooloolaba dredging and beach nourishment project had a dredging volume of 100,000 m3.
