Coast's sand on the move

Sunshine Coast councillor Russell Green is confident the result of the new sand-pumping facility at Noosa Main Beach will be welcomed.

Geoff Potter

NOOSA'S groundbreaking $2.5 million sand recycling system may hold the key to solving Mooloolaba harbour's siltation problems, which are creating major headaches for boaties.

On Thursday afternoon the Sunshine Coast council's new dual sand-shifter system, developed by Slurry Marine Systems, was officially commissioned and with the turn of a key began pumping up to 3000 tonnes of cubic sand, or 300 truckloads, a day on to the northern end of Noosa Spit.

Slurry Systems managing director Lex Nankervis said he had been approached by the transport department to give it a price for a similar sand-capture and pumping system for the mouth of Mooloolah River, where sand shifts pushed by recent rough weather have created a navigational nightmare.

Mr Nankervis said he was confident of being able to tackle the task if a large enough collection point of sand could be created.

"We've got one of our units here (near the river mouth of Noosa River) buried six metres deep in the sand," he said.

"They've got two, maybe four metres of sand off there at the moment, so ... they'll need to create a trap for the sand."

Mr Nankervis said that would require blasting or excavating the rock and extending the harbour rock slightly so the sand shifters could operate properly.

"At the moment the sand comes in, hits the wall and it's straight into the channel," he said.

Councillor Russell Green said he was keen to trial the Noosa solution to Main Beach's chronic sand losses, which once threatened the viability of the tourist industry.

"What we've hoping for is that this might help us with a number of challenges we're facing down at the Maroochy River stretch," Cr Green said.

"And, also with what's happening at the Mooloolah River, they (state authorities such as Marine Safety Queensland) are looking at a long-term solution as to how they can actually manage that.

"I think the fact that the guys at Slurry Systems put their money where their mouth was and actually ran the trial here in Noosa and proved that it could work means it's worth having a look at."

CR Green said he believed they now had a permanent solution to ensuring sand on Main Beach.

"Forever the stories were about Noosa Main Beach is missing its sand... the rock wall is exposed.

"We haven't had that story run now for four-plus years," he said.

"Ninety per cent of all visitations for Noosa are for Main Beach.

"We're staging the final race of the Nutri-Grain ironman this weekend.

"If you had that conversation 10 years ago people would have laughed at you. But now they're able to stage it so successfully and easily.

"It's not only important to the economy of Noosa but it's important for the locals who use the beach every morning and throughout the day.

"The new dual-pump plant uses off-peak power, replacing the old temporary set-up run by a generator, and can double the sand-pumping capacity to 80,000 cubic metres of sand a year."