The Squirter Boat Returns To The Goldy
Following the prolonged battering from TC Alfred, Gold Coast beaches - particularly at the northen end - were heavily eroded. This was made worse last week when high tides combined with long period south swell toppling another lifeguard tower at Surfers Paradise.
"We lost about 4 million cubic metres of sand, which is around 320,000 semi-trailer loads," reports the Gold Coast City Council.
'Lost' isn't the correct word to use when natural processes occur. The sand has simply been shifted, mostly offshore into storm bars, some a bit further out where it will take a slightly longer journey on its way north.
A toppled lifeguard tower gets craned off Surfers Paradise beach. (ABC News // Dominic Cansdale)
Nevertheless, GCCC would like to see the beaches return to the their previous broad state with ample room for tourists to lay about and they've employed a technological fix. Once again the Gold Coast City Council has engaged the services of a hopper dredge to shift offshore sand back into the nearshore zone where it will, hopefully, return to the beach itself.
The vessel they're using is the Trud R and has been leased at a cost of $10 million. Work began on Saturday 5th April and will continue 24/7 for eight weeks. Able to dredge down to 28m, the Trud R can sail into water less than 4m deep to unload which puts it in easy range of the beach.
The Trud - shown here in action this morning - can move in shallower waters than previous dredges used on the Gold Coast (Andrew Shield)
The work began at the northern end of Broadbeach and will move northwards through Surfers Paradise over the next two months. No surfing will be allowed within 200m of the dredge or work site.
Though the dredge is effective in shifting sand it hasn't always resulted in good sandbanks. North end surfers will be hoping for a repeat of the 2017 delivery when their council rates were put to the best use possible.
Don't doubt the squirter, the photos above and below show the result of the 2017 work (Andrew Shield)
Comments
Keep track of the squirter:
Those banks look much better than here already.
Not to mention the water quality!
Surfed right next to it from 6-10am this morning... that was some of the best beachy banks ive surfed in ages. Some decent sized 4 foot sets would come through once every 30 mins, and blow my mind. All I was expecting was some nice 2 foot banks, but the sand pumping must turn the beach into a swell magnet also.
Can we send it down NSW way when its finished?
Yes, Gold Coast? I have a caller from Perth on the line who wants to know if he can have a go once you're done.
10 million?
Few meat trays down the Bowlo and we might get it for half an hour.
That could do some good around here.
as a surfer, i think it would be better positioned down near rainbow, to get rid off that extension of the snapper bank, which would then bring greenmount through to kirra back into play, and with natural northern movement of sand, the northern end of the gc would eventually fill back in.
It was indeed awesome in 2017 and basically the only banks that were good in a solid/long period south swell that would otherwise be 200m long closeouts. Hopefully the banks are still there when the winter south swells start!
It's like a reverse waterslide for benthic fauna!
Snapper might be in trouble for the comp - still super deep and rocks galore.
Four weeks to repair, what you think?
Doesn't take long- but the clock is ticking.
Sat image taken three days ago. It's barely shifted.
Nothing wetter or better than a squirter!
I'd stay away from that stuff, I heard it was urine..?
$6000 / hour x 24hrs x 70 days.... $10M
How much are the highrise resort owners chipping in or is this socialisms in negative gear*?
Can Squirty return 4 million cubic metres of sand to this beach in 70 days?
https://www.marinetraffic.com/en/ais/home/centerx:-12.0/centery:25.0/zoom:4
* "Former high-flying Sydney and Gold Coast property developer William O’Dwyer was handed a four-year jail term on Friday after pleading guilty to six fraud-related charges in August following the $560 million collapse of his Ralan Group in 2019. (including gold coast highrise resorts opposite sand sucker)
"The sentence includes a non-parole period of two years and four months. The maximum penalty for each offence was 10 years’ imprisonment."
So.... $560 million debt / 850 wks = $658,823/ wk = approx $4000 / hour for sitting in gaol for 2.4 yrs.... ....give him & mates a fn shovel. Too late he's already gone....
refreshence
Aust Fin Review https://www.afr.com/property/residential/william-o-dwyer-sentenced-to-fo...
Gold Coast Property AI
.... above rant supported by Bean green pasher Pty Ltd