Work starts to maintain beaches north of Dawesville Cut

Work will begin this week to ensure safe navigation at the entrance to the Dawesville Cut and sandy beaches to the north are maintained.

Undertaken each year, the work will see about 110,000 cubic metres of accumulated sand excavated from Pyramids Beach and pumped north of the entrance to the Dawesville Cut via pipes on the seabed. 

Department of Transport (DoT) Maritime Executive Director Steve Jenkins said about $1.5 million would be spent supporting the natural northward flow of sand along the coast following the successful completion of a similar sand bypassing and replenishment campaign at Mandurah Ocean Entrance in November to improve navigational safety and create a wider Town Beach for the current summer. 

Mr Jenkins said the aim of the latest work was to ensure the entrance channel to the Dawesville Cut remained navigable and beaches to the north receive the supply of sand they require to limit erosion in winter. 

“Heavy machinery will be in operation at Pyramids Beach during the day Monday to Friday and we ask people to observe the directional signage in place and abide by the restrictions until the completion of work in mid-June this year,” Mr Jenkins said.

“Environmental monitoring is key to the project and DoT is again working closely with the City of Mandurah and Murdoch University to protect an Australian Fairy Tern colony nesting at Pyramids Beach. 

“Bypassing works will commence at the southern extent of the planned excavation area, away from the fenced nesting area, and it is anticipated that the remainder of the colony will have vacated their current location by the time works reach this section of the beach. Monitoring of the colony will continue as works progress north.” 

For more information about DoT’s dredging and sand bypassing program visit our website. 

Media contact: media@transport.wa.gov.au