Work starts to maintain beaches north of Dawesville Cut

The Department of Transport (DoT) WA is about to begin the annual Sand Bypassing scheme at Dawesville Cut.

Undertaken each year, the project will see about 110,000 cubic metres of accumulated sand excavated from Pyramids Beach and pumped north of the entrance to the Dawesville Cut via pipes on the seabed.

DoT Maritime Executive Director, Steve Jenkins, said that about $1.5 million would be spent supporting the natural northward flow of sand along the coast following the successful completion of a similar sand bypassing and replenishment campaign at Mandurah Ocean Entrance in November to improve navigational safety and create a wider Town Beach for the current summer.

According to him, the aim of the latest work was to ensure the entrance channel to the Dawesville Cut remained navigable and beaches to the north receive the supply of sand they require to limit erosion in winter.

“Heavy machinery will be in operation at Pyramids Beach during the day Monday to Friday and we ask people to observe the directional signage in place and abide by the restrictions until the completion of work in mid-June this year,” Mr Jenkins said.

“Bypassing works will commence this week at the southern extent of the planned excavation area, away from the fenced nesting area, and it is anticipated that the remainder of the Fairy Tern colony will have vacated their current location by the time works reach this section of the beach. Monitoring of the colony will continue as works progress north.”