Golden Beach seawall to be restored at Caloundra

The Golden Beach Sailing and Boating Club at Caloundra will benefit from a $4.5 million funding commitment to repair and restore 170 metres of seawall damaged by storm surges, high tides and erosion caused by the tidal breakthrough at Bribie Island in the Pumicestone Passage.

The extraordinary disaster assistance is being funded by the jointly funded Commonwealth-State Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements (DRFA), following the significant 2021-22 weather events.

The seawall and boat ramp will be rebuilt, drainage improved and the foreshore restored, providing better access for users while protecting the valuable park, coastal pathway and near- by roads.

The new seawall will also address issues of safety along this stretch of coast, with erosion uncovering a historical landfill, including asbestos sheeting and washing debris onto the beach near the site of the TS Onslow Navy Cadets.

These works will also be complemented by a further $32 million through the new Federal Disaster Ready Fund. The Fund will deliver a range of local projects on the Sunshine Coast and Noosa, including over $16 million to reconstruct 300 metres of the Mooloolaba foreshore seawall. 

On-site remediation works have already been undertaken to make the site safe. Temporary fencing will remain on the site until the works are completed, and regular collection of the debris will continue to be undertaken by Sunshine Coast Council, who will be responsible for the delivery of the $4.5 million repair works.

A Project Control Group (PCG) will be formed with representatives from Council, the Department of Resources, Queensland Reconstruction Authority and Department of Tourism, Innovation and Sport (DTIS).

The PCG will oversee delivery of this complex project which requires careful consideration of the potential future impacts of the tidal breakthrough at Bribie Island in the Pumicestone Passage.

The funding is part of the DTIS-led $81 million Community Recreational Asset Recovery and Resilience Program, jointly funded by the Australian and Queensland governments under the DRFA, supporting 196 sites to recover and be repaired following significant weather events during 2021-22.