Breakwaters to help mitigate sand erosion at Clifton Beach

Council has received more than $1 million of State Government funding to assist in the construction of two breakwaters at Clifton Beach.

The proposed breakwaters are permanent structures constructed from rock for the primary purpose of mitigation of sand loss and retention of the beach profile.

The $2.5 million project will provide longer term protection of the foreshore, while also reducing ongoing costs of regular sand nourishment programs.

The impacts of ex-Tropical Cyclone Jasper highlighted the fragility and dynamic nature of Cairns’ northern beaches, reinforcing the value and urgency of additional coastal protection.

The severe weather event contributed to the erosion of sand from sections of the northern beaches resulting in the loss of vegetation and damage to roads, paths, retaining walls and public amenities.

The primary objective of the breakwater project is to trap sand being transported north along Clifton Beach and reduce the risk of long-term erosion on the beach. This will improve the resilience of the beach and improve the functionality, be more attractive and more useable for the community.

The breakwaters, which will be about 28m x 18m in size, will be constructed on the shoreline.

A sand nourishment program is anticipated to continue following construction of the breakwater structures and will be completed as a separate project.

The State Government has committed $1.037 million of funding to the project under the Coastal and Estuarine Risk Mitigation Program (CERMP).

The project has a total budget allocation of $2.5 million in 2024/25 in Council’s capital works program.

Work is expected to be completed in 2024.