Sand Bypass System Upgrades on the Way

A major upgrade to the Gold Coast’s Sand Bypass System jetty will ensure sand continues to be pumped northward keeping the Seaway open for the recreation, tourism and marine industries.

The Gold Coast Waterways Authority is investing about $3.35 million in the project which will enable critical maintenance works to be carried out effectively and safely on the System’s jet pumps.

CEO Hal Morris said that the upgrade is essential as the pumps are the powerhouse of the Sand Bypass System’s operations.

“The pumps suck up sand from the seabed beneath the jetty and then the sand gets pumped underneath the Seaway to South Stradbroke Island, keeping this vital connection between the ocean and the waterways open for recreational and commercial vessels,” Morris said.

He added that ten jet pumps on the jetty require frequent maintenance which can only be undertaken when they’re lifted from beneath the sea floor by a crane on the jetty deck.

A local company, Alder Constructions was awarded the contract to undertake the work. The deadline for completing the project is June next year.

The Sand Bypass System is designed to replicate the natural northerly movement of sand along our coastline by transporting at least 500,000 m³ of sand under the Seaway to South Stradbroke Island each year.

Completed in 1986, the System was the first of its kind in the world.