Hall Contracting has moved the sand dredge Kirra and support vessels from Anderson Inlet to Port Phillip Bay for beach renourishment at Middle Park, Victoria.
About 37,000 cubic metres of sand will be dredged from a borrow area roughly 750 metres offshore and pumped onto the beach between Mills and Langridge streets.
The City of Port Phillip is managing the project, with funding from Victoria’s Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action (DEECA).
Work is scheduled to operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Sand pumping can continue during night work, when effective barriers will be set up to reduce noise; mechanical spreading will only take place during daylight.
“Beach conditions are currently reasonable, but council is trying to be proactive by doing works before a severe storm, which would dramatically decrease the beach width,” the council said.
The council said widening the beach would help protect the Bay Trail, bluestone wall, Sandbar Café and heritage beach shelter from storm damage.
Sections of beach will close in stages, with fencing and barriers around active work areas. The Bay Trail will stay open, though some short-term, minor adjustments are anticipated.
The council said freshly dredged sand may initially appear darker and smell as naturally occurring organic material is exposed to the air. It is expected to lighten through exposure to sunlight and tidal cycles.
Crews were demobilising pipelines and equipment at the Lija Lookout boat ramp near Inverloch following completion of sand-dredging work at Anderson Inlet.
Middle Park is an artificially constructed beach requiring recurring sand replacement. Previous campaigns included work in 2016 and 2020, restoring the beach to a width of 35 metres at high tide.