Repairs start at Emu Point

Two trial groynes and tens-of-thousands of cubic metres of beach sand will be relocated over the next few weeks in the City of Albany’s latest attempt to combat erosion at Emu Point.

Construction of two geotextile sand container groynes — containers filled with sand — on Emu Beach began on Monday, April 7, west of the current sandbag wall.

City works and services executive director Matthew Thomson said the 3.6m wide and 50m long groynes would extend into the water to monitor how sand moves and is trapped at the beach.

“This will assist in gathering data to inform the long-term solution for this area of coast,” he said.

Works are scheduled to be completed by April 17 to avoid disrupting beachgoers during the popular Easter period.

From April 28, 10,000 cubic metres of sand will be trucked from Ellen Cove to Emu Point.

It will repeat of a similar operation carried out last August when 1500 cubic metres of sand was trucked from Ellen Cove to Emu Point and 750 cubic metres to Oyster Harbour Beach.

Ellen Cove will be closed to the public until May 9 while the operation is underway.

“The City believes the sand renourishment trial provided a good outcome and provided valuable data which may inform a long-term solution,” Mr Thomson said.

Friends of Emu Point president Ken Drummond supports the works, saying the sand shifted in the previous trial remained in place longer than the three months he predicted.

“It is great they are having a go and being more proactive,” he said.

“In the past they have done something and said it would fix it, but there seems to have been an attitude change towards tackling the problem.”

Mr Thomson said the groynes and sand nourishment would assist in protecting the rocks walls, dual-use path and other infrastructure behind the erosion.

“Coastal erosion has been an issue at Emu Point for many years, dating back as far as development has occurred in the area,” he said.