Public concern for future of Semaphore Beach

by Bob Briton

An intense atmosphere hung over a public meeting held last week in the 
seaside Adelaide suburb of Semaphore. They were discussing a proposal by 
the State Government's Coastal Protection Board (CPB) to take sand from a 
nearby stretch of beach and to build an experimental off-shore breakwater 
out of sand bags. The purpose of the experiment is to stop the erosion of 
beaches just south of Semaphore where houses are under threat from the 
encroaching Gulf waters.

The meeting was called by the Port Residents Environment Protection Group 
(PAREG), which believes the plan involves too much disruption and too much 
harm to Semaphore beach.

The proposal will involve the removal of sand to a depth of 2.3 metres 
along the one kilometre stretch of beach between Hart St and Hall St. The 
filling of the bags will require 12,000 m3, the ongoing replenishment of 
the beach at Semaphore Park will take a further 40,000 m3 and the building 
of tracks ("salients") into the water for the construction of the 
breakwater will use up another 112,000 m3 of sand.

Murray Townsend from the CPB used an overhead presentation to put the 
government's position. He argued that the current proposal is the least 
disruptive option available.

He pointed to experience in the US and Western Australia that attempts to 
resow areas of sea grass have not been very successful. PAREG has suggested 
that this avenue be explored as part of an effort to stop the accelerated 
erosion taking place.

Mr Townsend also said that other, more abundant sources of sand are not 
suitable. Sand from around Outer Harbour, for example, is of the wrong 
particle size to build a stable sandbag structure.

PAREG wants this to be re-examined in case other sources of sand could be 
used.

Stephen Darley of PAREG put the position of the group and gave an overview 
of the natural process that the coastal authorities are seeking to manage.

He said that permission should never have been given to build houses on the 
beaches under threat and that a "buy back" scheme should have been put in 
place by the State Government years ago.

He said further that the period for consultation should be restarted, given 
that the extent of the proposal was not generally understood. Some people 
who might originally have endorsed the program were not aware of the need 
to build salients to put the sand bags in place.

David Case, a Councillor from the City of Port Adelaide Enfield, spoke in a 
personal capacity to explain that he had originally voted with the rest of 
the Council in favour of the project.

He now believes that the original proposal did not make clear the extent of 
the disruption involved. He supported PAREG's call for a new round of 
community consultation on the breakwater scheme.

At the end of a lively, sometimes heated, question and answer session, the 
packed hall supported PAREG's call for a re-examination of the project.