Kirra dredge moves on from Anderson Inlet to Port Phillip Bay
The Kirra sand dredge and accompanying work boats are on their way from Anderson Inlet to Port Phillip Bay after completing their sand dredging work at Inverloch.
ITS goodbye Inverloch and hello Middle Park for the Kirra sand dredge and accompanying work boats as Hall Contracting departs Anderson Inlet and shifts its operations to Port Phillip Bay for a beach renourishment project at Middle Park.
Demobilisation is well underway at the Lija Lookout boat ramp area near the Inverloch jetty as crews relocate the pipelines and equipment used at Inverloch to Middle Park where approximately 37,000 cubic metres of sand will be dredged from 750 metres offshore and spread across the eroded Middle Park beach to create a wider sand profile.
The City of Port Phillip is partnering with the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action (DEECA) to deliver the project between Mills and Langridge streets.
Like many beaches in the area Middle Park was artificially constructed and requires ongoing maintenance. Climate change has accelerated coastal erosion, making regular sand replacement vital.
Similar campaigns successfully restored the beach to a width of 35 metres at high tide in 2008, 2016, and 2020. While current beach conditions remain reasonable, council authorities are taking a proactive approach.
DEECA and the City of Port Phillip hope to complete the project before severe storms arrive preventatively to safeguard the inner-city beach against dramatic erosion and help protect nearby infrastructure.
Hall Contracting is expected to work 24 hours a day, seven days a week to finish the project by December resulting in fewer delays and less impact to the community.
Pumping of sand will be allowed during night works with effective noise barriers put in place, but there will be no mechanical spreading of the sand out of daylight hours.
Once completed, the renourishment is expected to increase beach width, improve recreational amenity for the whole community, provide a buffer from storm damage in the surrounding area, including a heritage beach shelter, bluestone wall and bay trail.
Similar to Inverloch the new sand is expected to bleach from exposure to sunlight, wave action and ongoing tidal cycles to naturally blend with the existing beach sand.
