FORESHORE erosion is occurring at 44 places along Redlands 220km of coastline.
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Sites include Amity on North Stradbroke Island, Bay Street, Redland Bay, Polka Point, Dunwich, Cleveland Point and Thorneside although damage varies from bad to that of such little consequence that it needs no more than monitoring.
Redland City Council has endorsed the first phase of its Coastal Adaptation Strategy, a short to medium-term management plan to help identify, assess and manage erosion-prone areas.
Cr Paul Bishop said council was investigating beach erosion at Thorneside, with a view to building rock walls or using some sort of sand replenishment option.
He said erosion along Queens Esplanade had been under way for years and had exposed what might be old fill as several metres of beach disappeared.
A council spokesman said residents had been contacted and a decision on what to do would be taken after looking at economic, environmental, social and physical issues.
“Thorneside is identified as at risk of erosion and a panel of experts consulting to council have recommended that the erosion would be best managed through adopting a defensive strategy,’’ he said.
Options range from topping up beach sand, to building sea walls, rock walls, sand bag walls rock-filled cage walls and concrete walls.
In some instances the solution that provided the best physical barrier might be the least preferred option by locals because it might detract from a key feature.
Mayor Karen Williams said the strategy would outline a consistent approach to managing coastal hazards.
“With phase one adopted, the next stage is to begin community engagement,’’ she said.
By identifying emerging risks it was hoped to make significant budget and project savings.
“Coastal hazards assessment can be emotive and complicated issues that at times, without a transparent assessment framework, can lead to ad hoc and inconsistent outcomes,’’ she said.
“Included among the many influences seen as important and sometimes competing priorities by different stakeholders are personal and private property values, social and economic values, environmental values, strategic infrastructure land use values and political values.’’
The issue comes as Environment Minister Steven Miles tries to decide what to do about heritage-listed WWII concrete fortifications on Bribie Island to the north of Brisbane which are under threat from beach erosion.
Dr Miles said Bribie was vulnerable to erosion and waves had taken a toll on old gun batteries that had protected Moreton Bay.
