Sand scraping trial on Old Bar Beach

Published on 23 October 2018

MidCoast Council has matched NSW Government funding to undertake a trial of a temporary erosion control measure on Old Bar Beach, with works commencing this week.

“As long as weather and beach conditions permit, we will be undertaking a trial of ‘sand scraping’ measures along a  section of Old Bar Beach this month,” said Council’s Coastal Management Coordinator, Andrew Staniland.

The trial involves using earth moving equipment on the Beach for about 10 days, which will place a sand buffer along a section of the Beach, from just south of the surf club (in line with Kolang Street) to the northern point of the Old Bar Caravan Park.

While pedestrian access will be maintained throughout the works, sections of the beach and beach access points will be closed during the operation of machinery to ensure public safety. “We ask for cooperation from beach users in following the directions of staff and signage on site to keep the Beach safe during these works,” says Andrew.

“The trial will implement an erosion measure that is widely used along the NSW coastline to provide a temporary buffer from storm impacts,” said Andrew. “This trial will gauge how effective sand scraping is for Old Bar Beach, as not all locations benefit from the measure due to individual site differences.”

Sand scraping is an interim measure that works by physically shifting sand from the intertidal zone (between high and low tide) and placing it against the current erosion scar on a Beach. The trial works are designed to create a sand buffer that will act as a short term management solution.

“It’s important to understand that the sand buffer is designed to be eroded by the ocean, protecting the existing coastline on a temporary basis,” added Andrew.

These trial works replicate successful sand scraping works that have been undertaken elsewhere in NSW. The result of the trial will be considered when designing future solutions for the long term coastal management of the Old Bar area.

“At the conclusion of this trial, we will report back to our community on the effectiveness of the trial - there are no certainties that the trial will be extended or continued at this stage,” said Andrew. 

MidCoast Council has received all relevant permits and licences to undertake these works, which are jointly funded together with the NSW Office of Environment and Heritage.

For more information on MidCoast Council's coastal management program, visit our coastal management page.