Erosion on the Esperance foreshore opposite the RAC Village. Photo: supplied/Facebook
While coastal erosion east of the Esperance jetty continues to threaten infrastructure such as roads and buildings, Council is working towards a permanent arrangement with a State Government department to replenish the beach with sand.
Shire Asset Management director Matthew Walker told council that beach erosion had been a problem for many years, becoming worse after construction works at Esperance Port in the 1960s.
“This has led to the Shire continually renourishing the erosion hotspot, located from the Esperance Jetty Headland to Goldfields Road, at a rate of 20,000m3 on average annually through imported sand from inland via tucks,” he wrote in his report.
The sand has been trucked in from Wylie Bay landfill site, however the Shire has had a pipeline built using special State and Federal grants, to transport sand the WA Department of Transport dredges from Bandy Creek every two years.
The pipeline was completed last month, and the Department is now asking for a contract including a $750,000 commitment from the Shire to pipe the sand to the Castletown beachfront.
Currently the Shire has $240,000 remaining in budget for sand renourishment and would require the Shire finding an additional $135,000 this financial year and commit $375,000 to next finical year’s budget,” Mr Walker wrote.
He said this would cost slightly more than the present method ($17.86 per cubic metre to pipe sand instead of $17.50 per cubic metre for trucking) but the current sand source at Wylie Bay Landfill was limited as clearing permits were due to expire.
Councillors agreed to meet the financial commitment when they meet on Tuesday.
