Rowes Bay beach sand replenishment underway

Rowes Bay beach will be replenished using sand from the mouth of the Ross River as part of Council’s annual beach renourishment works.

The work is based on the recommendations of the Rowes Bay Shoreline Erosion Management Plan and is expected to take 7 to 8 weeks to complete.

Community Safety and Environment Committee Chair Cr Margie Ryder said the sand transfer was important for repairing erosion to the beach.

“This work is part of an annual program that will replenish sand along 800m of the foreshore between Mundy Creek and the Rowes Bay wind turbine,” Cr Ryder said.

“Council undertakes these works annually as part of our Rowes Bay Shoreline Erosion Management Plan to minimise the effect of erosion on Rowes Bay.”

The Port of Townsville is providing 5,000 cubic metres of sand from the Ross River for the project.

Port of Townsville Infrastructure and Environment General Manager, Marissa Wise said that it is pleasing to see the long-term partnership between the Port and Townsville City Council contributing to providing the community with an enriched beach by using replacement sand.

“The Port removes the sand from Ross River and Cleveland Bay to improve safety for the multitude of private, commercial, research and military vessels that use the Ross River for access to and from Cleveland Bay,” Ms Wise said.

“The Port is delighted that we are able to contribute to the local community by providing this sand to Townsville City Council as it also helps the Port achieve its goal of increasing the beneficial reuse of the sand.”

The annual works will be expanded this year with funding of $735,000 provided under the Disaster Relief Funding Arrangements (DRFA) as part of the recovery from the unprecedented monsoon event last year.

These extra works will use coarser sand – transferred from upper sections of Ross River – to mix with the fine sand provided by the port.

Local Councillor Ann-Maree Greaney thanked residents for their patience while the work is completed.

“Erosion management at Rowes Bay is vital for keeping the foreshore in good condition,” Cr Greaney said.

“While this work is underway there will be partial closures to the beach, but this work will allow us to keep the beach open and looking great for residents in the longer term.”