Works to renourish the dunes and upper beach at the Cowes Main Beach will commence on Monday 4 September. Bass Coast Shire Council will oversee sand transportation by trucks from the Cowes Boat Ramp and placement on the beach area between the Cowes Jetty and Mussell Rocks.
The sand renourishment works will take around 5 to 7 days of suitable tides to complete.
These maintenance works are in response to wave erosion that has occurred at the site over several years. The resultant loss of sand from the beach placed important public infrastructure and assets at risk. These assets include the grassed embankment, beach access structures and the sandy beach itself.
In 2018 Council commissioned Water Technology to undertake a coastal processes analysis of the Cowes Main Beach to determine the best approach for managing erosion. This renourishment work delivers on the recommendations of that report.
Sand renourishment works were last conducted in 2019 at the eastern section of the beach. In 2020, indigenous plants were established to stabilize the sand dune and protect the embankment. Works were also undertaken to minimise erosion caused by pedestrian access. This included the construction of fencing and a second set of timber stairs. Together, these works have achieved some important improvements.
The upcoming renourishment work will focus on the western section of the beach, with some minor maintenance of the eastern area also to be conducted.
The Cowes Boat Ramp will supply the sand for the renourishment works. During the current boat ramp upgrade project, a significant quantity of sand has accumulated at the construction site and will need to be removed. Using this excess sand to renourish the nearby Cowes Main Beach is an efficient use of the resource.
There will be minimal disruption as the works are programmed during a time of the year where public use is near its lowest. However, beach users may experience some inconvenience, especially at the beach access ramp located west of the Cowes Jetty.
This sand renourishment will cost $67,000 and is fully funded by a grant Council secured from the Australian Government.
