The City of Gold Coast has commenced its 2025 Surfers Paradise sand backpass campaign, a beach nourishment project designed to mitigate erosion and restore sand levels on the area's northern beaches following Tropical Cyclone Alfred.
The campaign, which began on June 23 and is expected to continue until December 2025, uses a 7.8-kilometre pipeline to move sand from The Spit to Main Beach, Narrowneck, and Surfers Paradise. The system can deliver 120,000 cubic metres of sand to the beaches each year, with pumping operations occurring overnight.
Mayor Tom Tate stated that the project will help protect beach amenity and coastal infrastructure. Chris Derksema, CEO of the Gold Coast Waterways Authority (GCWA), a partner in the project, added that the recovery works are about building long-term resilience for the coastline.
While all Gold Coast beaches are accessible again after the cyclone, officials stated that the full restoration of sand volumes is expected to take until at least 2028. The backpass system is part of a larger restoration program that also includes the dredger Trud R and dune shield trials.