Dune rebuild to start in April as sandbag works near completion

DUNE reconstruction on the Inverloch surf beach is set to start in April just weeks after sandbag reinstatement works are completed, DEECA has confirmed.

Sections of the beach will be closed during the construction period with fencing and barriers installed to prevent public access.

Effective noise barriers will be put in place and monitored by the EPA.

DEECA said the works have been designed and engineered by independent coastal engineers to protect the dunes from further coastal erosion while also increasing the beach area.

A cutter suction dredge will recover sand from within Anderson Inlet and pump it along the surf beach to designated nourishment locations.

Anderson Inlet was selected as the sand source for the dune reconstruction after an extensive study of offshore and land-based sand options.

The inlet’s sand bars were found to contain coarser sand better able to hold the designed dune shape and resist storm erosion.

All equipment including the pipeline carrying the sand will be removed once the project is complete.

DEECA said the pipeline is needed for use in other locations.

The dune reconstruction and sand nourishment works are designed to provide an effective short to medium-term buffer against erosion and storm impacts and adjust naturally to ongoing wave and tidal conditions, gradually reducing over time.

In most instances dredging work will continue through storm events.

When there are wave height limitations on the vessel where it may be unsafe to operate, work may pause for a short time and beach plant and machinery temporarily removed.

The width of the renourishment will typically vary between 20 metres and 40 metres although it may be wider at the western end where the existing dune is set back further.

The dune will be narrower on the eastern side of the Surf Life Saving Club.
DEECA said it has been collaborating with Bass Coast Shire Council to plan the dune revegetation which will occur once the dune renourishment has had time to settle.

Dune revegetation will include local species with the aim of stabilising the renourished dune and enhancing biodiversity.

DEECA and Bass Coast Shire Council have been working with the South Gippsland Conservation Society and local nurseries to plan the revegetation.

Plant species are likely to be planted in late spring in holes with water crystals to provide a source of moisture to assist them in establishing when the rainfall is higher and before the summer heat.

Both branches of Wreck Creek have been considered during the nourishment design to mitigate coastal flood risks.

Wreck Creek will be monitored to reduce flood risk during and after the beach works.

DEECA said structures like groynes, seawalls or rock bags can slow sand movement but also significantly change how a beach looks, functions and can be used.

Even short groynes buried under the sand would eventually become exposed as the beach erodes, altering beach access, safety and recreation.

“Community engagement has consistently told us that keeping Inverloch beach as natural and usable as possible is a high priority,” a DEECA spokesperson said.

The Cape to Cape Resilience Plan assessed a range of engineering options including groynes, seawalls and rock bag structures alongside nature-based approaches.

Large-scale beach renourishment, dune rebuilding and vegetation restoration were selected as the preferred actions because they maintain the natural character of the beach while improving its resilience to erosion and storms.