Beaches restoration (Tropical Cyclone Alfred)

Project typeOceans, beaches and waterways
Project scheduleOngoing

Damage to beach at Southport SLSC after Cyclone Alfred

Tropical Cyclone Alfred had a devastating impact on the Gold Coast in March 2025. It stripped away approximately 4 million cubic metres of sand (about 320,000 semi-trailer loads) and damaged more than 30 coastal assets including platforms, coastal protection structures, stairs, platforms, lifeguard towers, showers and marker buoys.

Recovery takes time and our efforts to repair our beaches and coastal infrastructure were hampered by large swells, high tides and severe weather in the months following. With some better weather, clever coastal management, hard work and persistence, sand is slowly building, beaches are widening and we’re strengthening our shoreline for the future.

We’ve taken a 3-phase approach to restoring our beaches to ensure they’re resilient to future severe weather.

Phase 1: Safe and accessible beaches – completed

Our first priority in the aftermath of the cyclone was to make all of our beaches safe and accessible.

Washed up debris and rubbish was removed.
Beach access pathways were consolidated into fewer, safer paths spaced about 150 metres apart.
Erosion scarps were knocked down and beaches were reprofiled using heavy machinery.
We have buffered dunes ahead of high tides by placing sand in eroded areas.
New dune fencing was installed to help restore the dune system and reduce erosion.
5 new sets of stairs have been built along Main Beach.
All 9 relocated Lifeguard towers have been moved back into surveillance position.
A small rock bag seawall was installed at Currumbin Beach near Vikings Surf Club to prevent further erosion.
Regular water quality testing and monitoring is ongoing.
We've scraped sand from low tide areas to restore the upper beach.

Woodroffe Avenue beach staircase

Woodroffe Avenue stairway damage after Tropical Cyclone Alfred

Before

Replacement staircase at Woodroffe Avenue

After

Phase 2: Restoration – in progress

Seventy percent of our beaches now have sufficient beach volume to withstand a 50-year erosion event. Specialised offshore sand dredging equipment helped move 1.65 million cubic metres of sand back onto our beaches.

Sand stockpiles have been replenished at Surfers Paradise and The Spit for ongoing use in Narrowneck, Main Beach and Surfers Paradise.
Almost 50% of beachfront assets damaged by Tropical Cyclone Alfred have been repaired or restored so far.
The Surfers Paradise Sand Backpass System will begin pumping again in April to help bolster sand supplies and widen the beach.
The dredge will return to top up our beaches in mid-2026. For more information about long-term dredging and nourishment programs visit our Beach nourishment page.

Sand scraping

Before sands scraping at Burleigh beach

Before

After sand scraping at Burleigh beach

After

Phase 3: Long-term protection – planning and delivery

Seawall Acceleration Project

The best protection against coastal erosion is a certified seawall. This program will fast-track the construction of seawalls on public land and ensure all seawalls meet required construction and maintenance standards to protect against erosion and storm surges.

Property owners are responsible for the construction and maintenance of seawalls to protect private property. For details visit, our Coastal protection structures page.

Dune Restoration Program

We’re trialling new techniques to fast-track vegetation growth at six dune locations along our coastline. The aim of this project is to pioneer new ways to enhance coastal resilience. Read more about our Dune restoration program.