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The Poruma Seawall Project is part of the $40 million Torres Strait Seawalls Program (TSSP) Stage 2: a program of coastal protection works on five targeted islands in the Torres Strait: Boigu, Poruma, Warraber, Iama and Masig.
Mitigation works on these islands are necessary to protect critical infrastructure from the impacts of climate change and/or severe weather events.
TSSP Stage 2 is supported by $40 million in funding with $20 million being provided by the Queensland Government through the Department of Housing, Local Government, Planning and Public Works and a further $20 million being provided by the Australian Government through the Torres Strait Regional Authority (TSRA).
Initial works on Poruma Island were completed in late 2018 under the $26.2 million TSSP Stage 1 which also included the completion of seawall works on Saibai Island and the partial completion of works on Boigu Island.
The Project resulted in a one-kilometer geotextile sandbag seawall which was constructed within its $5 million budget. Project works were concluded in late 2023.
The Poruma Seawall was officially opened, blessed and renamed ‘the Wall of Jacob’ by the Torres Strait Island Regional Council on 16 January 2024.