21/9/07
Families and other beach goers can look forward to continued access to Kwinana Beach following work to address serious shoreline erosion problems.
Acting Planning and Infrastructure Minister Jon Ford said the Kwinana rehabilitation was one of several regional and metropolitan beaches benefiting from the Coastal Protection Program.
"The State Government will spend $1.22million in partnership with local governments in coastal protection work at various locations including Mandurah, Busselton, Esperance and Albany," Mr Ford said.
"Kwinana Beach is a good example of the success of the program in maintaining the State's beaches and access to the coast.
"A Department for Planning and Infrastructure study in 2005 found that the southern part of Kwinana Beach was eroding by as much as 1.5m each year.
"After consultation with the local community and beach users on a range of long-term erosion management options, the Government joined with the City of Rockingham and the Town of Kwinana to fund a works program to address the issue.
"The construction of two artificial headlands off the northern part of the beach during June and July ensured the beach was no longer under threat.
"There will be an initial requirement for sand replenishment as the beach stabilises, but it will be minimal compared with the movement of large amounts of sand in recent years."
Rockingham MLA and Education and Training Minister Mark McGowan said without action to address the erosion, the beach would have continued to decline and Rockingham Beach Road would have been threatened.
"Historically Kwinana Beach has been popular with families living south of Perth and it is one of the few remaining horse exercising beaches in the metropolitan area," he said.
"However, shoreline erosion had increasingly limited access for the local community and others."
Mr McGowan said erosion at Kwinana Beach was attributed to a number of causes including the position of the wreck of the SS Kwinana, which sank in 1922, the causeway to Garden Island, built in 1973 and the location of the seawall built at the northern end of the beach in 1981 to provide erosion protection.
More information about the Coastal Protection Program was available from the Department for Planning and Infrastructure http://www.dpi.wa.gov.au
Minister's office - 9213 6400
