MidCoast Council is continuing to renourish the sand on Jimmys Beach from the Winda Woppa stockpile in order to provide a temporary buffer that provides a level of protection for the public infrastructure threatened by coastal erosion.
This practice that has been underway for more than 40 years. Other options have been considered and reviewed during that time however renourishment has been assessed as the most cost-effective option for providing protection and of the roadway and beach
Sand renourishment has been identified in the Jimmys Beach Coastal Zone Management Plan (2016) as the best way to the protect The Boulevarde, a road which separates residential development from Jimmys Beach.
This practice will continue until management options are reconsidered as part of a new Coastal Management Program which is currently being progressed.
The Sand Transfer Station that was built in 2019 to service Jimmys Beach was an innovative attempt to replenish sand to protect The Boulevarde and was delivered as a joint initiative between the NSW State Government and MidCoast Council. It was identified as a key action in the Coastal Zone Management Plan for the area.
MidCoast Council's Director of Infrastructure and Engineering Services, Rob Scott, said having a facility like the Sand Transfer System provides Council with an alternative option.
"Each sand replenishment is different. Prior to each replenishment we will assess which method will provide the best outcome for the beach and is the most cost effective," Mr Scott said.
"Recent campaigns have proven to be more cost effective by trucking the sand and profiling the beach to get the best shape to resist erosion.
"As a Council we need to be responsible in using the communities' resources and we will continue to use the most efficient and cost-effective method to replenish the sand on Jimmys Beach."
Mr Scott said the sand transfer system is regularly maintained to ensure it is available for use when it is needed.
"We appreciate the support and assistance that we've obtained through the State Government to help address what is a very complex coastal erosion issue.
"While the sand transfer system remains as one of our options for replenishing the beach, for the time being it is in the communities' best interest to replenish sand on the beach via manual carting rather than using the Sand Transfer System."
The sand that is transferred to Jimmys Beach comes from the stockpile area at the end of the peninsula that is periodically created by navigational dredging of the nearby channels of the Myall River.
Council is the delivery partner for maintenance navigation dredging funded by Transport for NSW in the lower Myall River which is envisaged for early 2025 once approvals and contractor procurement is completed. Dredged sand will be deposited on the stockpile.
Sand renourishment occurs when required and this varies from year to year depending on the severity of weather events and their impact on the protection the beach provides to the road infrastructure.
