Project Update - March 2022

Starting in March 2022, the City of Cockburn will install a 100-meter long engineered fringing reef at C.Y. O’Connor Beach as part of a coastal management trial project. This fringing reef is the first of its kind in Australia and aims to slow erosion rates by breaking down wave energy before it reaches the shore. The reef consists of 135 precast concrete modules that will be installed offshore in front of Rollinson Road.

Unlike more conventional seawalls and groynes, the fringing reef is expected to have minimal impact on the beach while enhancing marine habitat. The reef's performance and its impact on the surrounding coastline will be monitored over the next few years by the City of Cockburn and the University of Western Australia (UWA).

The project is part-funded by the WA Department of Transport Coastal Adaptation and Protection grant scheme, and the reef has been designed and built by Henderson-based Subcon, with coastal engineering support from M P Rogers & Associates and UWA.

In addition to the reef, the City will also bury a Geotextile Sand Container (GSC) wall into the beach and revegetate the onshore dunes as an erosion backstop measure to protect park assets during rare super-storm events. Sand replenishment will also take place on the south side of the Catherine Point Groyne to address beach erosion before winter. The GSC wall and revegetation are part-funded by a Coastwest grant from the WA Planning Commission.

More information

To find out more, visit the City of Cockburn website.