Options to Support Mass Sand Nourishment
Work was completed in December 2021 to evaluate four additional coastal management schemes, identified from feedback from the community (PDF 227KB), to complement mass sand nourishment. Click on the images below to learn more about each of the four schemes or read a summary in our printable Fact Sheet (PDF).
The four schemes were:
Maintenance Nourishment
The aim is to actively get the sand moving by mimicking natural sand flow, something that has stopped at Stockton.
This option involves artificially replacing the sand that currently moves north from Stockton Beach. Currently, around 112,000 cubic metres (net) is lost off the beach north along Stockton Bight each year. The benefit of this approach is that it allows the northward movement of sand to provide a buffer for the coastline north of Meredith Street.
Sand top-ups were identified as the community's preferred management scheme in December 2021, and as such will be included in the draft Extended Stockton CMP.
Artificial Headland
The aim of this scheme is to keep sand in the system as the headland will slow the northern movement of sand along Stockton Bight. As part of this management option, sand would build up on the southern side of the headland. Once built up, sand would bypass the headland and then feed the beach to the north.
It was proposed that the headland would be placed near Fort Wallace (Defence Housing Australia land) and the headland would extend into the ocean by around 150 to 200 metres.
Artificial Reef
An artificial reef would slow the northward movement of sand along Stockton Bight by reducing wave energy reaching the beach. The reef would be submerged, and sand would build up on the southern side of the reef. If this option was selected, once construction was complete the shoreline to the north of the structure would realign. The reef was proposed to be placed near Fort Wallace (Defence Housing Australia land).
Sand Back Passing
This scheme aims to keep sand in the system by re-circulating the northward movement of sand to the south, following mass sand nourishment. Sand would be re-circulated using machinery that dredges sand and feed it via pipe network south to outlets placed along Stockton Beach.
The back-passing system, which would be powered by a pump station, would allow wet sand to flow from the outlets onto Stockton Beach. The pumping rate would allow for the water to run into the ocean leaving the sand to fall out, building the beach. During operation small sections of the beach would be closed to the public, however the majority of the beach would remain open.
