A newly formed sand island off Surfers Paradise has quickly become one of the Gold Coast’s most talked-about landmarks, but experts warn it will not survive beyond the Christmas season.
The island was created by an offshore barge that has pumped 1 million cubic metres of sand back onto the city’s beaches as part of a $35 million replenishment project. The effort aims to restore the 6 million cubic metres of sand stripped away earlier this year by Tropical Cyclone Alfred.
International Coastal Management engineer Aaron Salyer said the dredge deliberately formed the island off the northern beach strip most affected by the storm. “It’s pretty awesome … who wouldn’t want an island out the front of their beach?” he remarked.
Salyer explained that tides, swell, and natural sand movement will gradually disperse the island. “It’s very much been put there on purpose, which is what nature would do anyway, but we’re just exaggerating that process by doing it mechanically. It’ll start to dissipate over the Christmas season and eventually wash its way in.”
While temporary, the sand island has captured public imagination, symbolizing both the scale of the city’s coastal restoration efforts and the power of nature to reshape its shores.
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