News
27 June, 2025
Fix options for Bribie Island
A STRING of breaches along northern Bribie Island has dramatically reshaped the Pumicestone Passage, prompting Sunshine Coast Council to fast-track emergency coastal protection works ahead of the 2025 storm season.
Breakthroughs in 2022, March 2025, and a third now forming have widened tidal channels, amplified wave energy, and driven up mean high-water levels by more than 23cm—exceeding the Stage 3 risk threshold under the region’s Coastal Hazard Adaptation Planning framework.
The breaches have exposed Golden Beach, Diamond Head, and surrounding ecological zones to severe erosion, inundation, and sand redistribution.
Following Tropical Cyclone Alfred, tidal behaviour is now resembling open ocean conditions, overwhelming the Passage’s natural and built defences. Mangroves and dune buffers are retreating under pressure, and sediment buildup is affecting navigation and water quality, including for emergency services.
In response, a new review recommends a series of low-risk, soft engineering solutions to reduce short-term risk and allow time for longer-term strategies.
The key actions are:
Closing Breakthroughs #2 and #3 using locally dredged material to reconstruct dunes and stabilise them with vegetation.
Buffering the island segment between Breakthroughs #1 and #2 with a temporary dune barrier to prevent the breaches from merging.
Constructing an inner sandbank inside Breakthrough #1 to absorb wave energy and protect downstream ecological zones.
Dredging a temporary channel linking Breakthrough #1 to the North Passage to restore tidal circulation and reuse sediment for strategic nourishment.
Council has flagged that these short-term measures must begin by July to meet a November deadline, likely requiring emergency approvals.
Officials stress these works are not a final solution but a critical first step in an ongoing, adaptive management plan. Authorities warn delay risks escalating environmental and infrastructure damage.
