Beach management strategies

Erosion is not a new phenomenon for the Gold Coast. It has been occurring well before the city of the Gold Coast became the popular, built-up tourist city it is today. High winds, powerful king tides and severe weather events - storms and cyclones - have all contributed to the erosion of beaches in the past and will continue to do so in the future.

Due to the white sands, warm water and sunny weather, the Gold Coast has quickly gone from small town to one of the world's most popular tourist locations. As a result, the Gold Coast - and in particular Surfers Paradise - hold tremendous economic potential due to the bustling tourism industry in this area.

Queensland was quick to capitalise on this potential and this has contributed to extensive urbanisation occurring on the northern parts of the Gold Coast. Accommodation high rises, shopping centres and restaurants have been constructed closely together and increasingly closer to the beach fronts themselves.

The urbanisation of the Gold Coast - particularly the construction of accommodation high rises - has occurred on what was previously hind dunes that made up a part of each beach's ecosystem. In fact, at some places along the Gold Coast, urbanisation has occurred right up to the back of the foredune.

This urbanisation onto the dune system has not only destroyed tertiary and secondary vegetation, but by removing this vegetation humans have made beaches more prone to erosion. As seen in the diagram above, vegetation plays an important role in the stability of the dune systems. Secondary vegetation and primary vegetation play a central role in protecting the dune system when large waves, storms and weather events occur. The grasses, shrubs, creepers and root systems hold sand in place.

Without this vegetation, powerful and damaging waves and winds wash and pull sand away from the beaches and their dunes, leaving evidence of erosion behind. The map below shows Surfers Paradise and the Spit in 1955 (left) and 1997 (right). By moving the slider, observe how the beaches of Surfers Paradise and the Spit have changed over time.

The map clearly shows distinct changes to the beaches and dune systems. The next slider map displays changes to the Gold Coast's beaches as a result of urbanisation from 1977 (left) to 2020 (right). As you move the slider, observe the width of the white strip of beach between the ocean and the urbanised areas.

Whilst effects of erosion have always been present on the Gold Coast, they have intensified due to urbanisation up to the beachfront. The dune systems for many Gold Coast beaches have been decimated, which means that it is more difficult for the beach ecosystem to recover without intervention and help.

Although recovery can occur naturally - through the process of Longshore drift - it requires a prolonged period of standard and benign weather conditions. If a freak storm or cyclone occurs it can undo the work of months of Longshore drift in a day or two.

The Gold Coast relies heavily on tourism. According to the Queensland Government (2018), tourism is a driving force in the economy and was responsible for injecting $4.7 billion into the economy. The city's tourism industry showed 1.3% growth for 2016-2017 and employed 42,000 people in 2018. The Queensland government continues to invest heavily in tourism on the Gold Coast as the sector continues to stimulate the economy.

When heavy erosion occurs on the Gold Coast, particularly around tourist hotspots like Surfers Paradise, Broadbeach and Miami, it directly threatens the tourism industry. The once-iconic, white and pristine beaches of the Gold Coast take on an unappealing appearance, which discourages tourists choosing to holiday there and instead choose other places to holiday. This impacts all facets of Gold Coast businesses including accommodation, retail, hospitality and attraction industries.

This in turn impacts businesses that may be forced to close, and locals who may lose their jobs, work hours or income.

Erosion on Gold Coast beaches presents a threat to the social and recreational lifestyle of locals and tourists. Local residents' houses are threatened by the effects of erosion and are in danger of being claimed by the ocean when severe weather events and damaging waves impact the coastline.

Not only is housing at risk, but also the very lifestyle that attracts locals and tourists to the Gold Coast. Times of erosion create dangerous conditions for people wanting to access the beaches. Sand bluffs make access to the beaches unsafe and make it difficult for more vulnerable demographics (infants, children, elderly, tourists) to escape dangerous ocean and wave conditions.

The processes of erosion often wash away the pristine, white sands of the Gold Coast, instead leaving them with an unappealing aesthetic and full of debris. This stops both locals and tourists from using the beach for recreational and leisure activities such as, sunbathing, sports and social gatherings.

Beach management strategies are integral to ensuring the health of the Gold Coast's beaches. However, urban planning for the city's future needs to take into account more than just the tourism industry, businesses and residents' lifestyles. It must continue to adopt a holistic approach, that incorporates intentional steps and safeguards to protect all aspects of the city's precious beaches.

These precious and pristine beaches provide economic, social and recreational sustenance to the people of the Gold Coast and its visitors. The City of Gold Coast must in turn work hard to protect the beach and its ecosystems.