Shoalhaven Coastal Erosion Remediation Adaptive Works Strategy for Transitioning from “Make- Safe/Make-Good” to “End-State” Protection
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Northern Shoalhaven NRFM Committee, 11 August 2014 - Item 5 Shoalhaven Coastal Erosion Remediation Adaptive Works Strategy for Transitioning from “Make- Safe/Make-Good” to “End-State” Protection Shoalhaven City Council Final Draft 8A0386 Northern Shoalhaven NRFM Committee, 11 August 2014 - Item 5 HASKONING AUSTRALIA MARITIME & WATERWAYS Suite 5, Level 5 100 Walker Street NORTH SYDNEY NSW 2060 +61 (0) 8854 5000 www.royalhaskoningdhv.com Document title Shoalhaven Coastal Erosion Remediation Adaptive Works Strategy for Transitioning from “Make-Safe/Make-Good” to “End-State” Protection Status Final Draft Date July 2014 Project name Shoalhaven Coastal Erosion Remediation Implementation Strategy Project number 8A0386 Client Shoalhaven City Council Reference 8A0386gpb_17-2-14_report Drafted by Gary Blumberg Checked by Greg Britton Date/initials check 22/6/14 GWB Approved by Date/initials approval Northern Shoalhaven NRFM Committee, 11 August 2014 - Item 5 CONTENTS Page 1 INTRODUCTION 1 1.1 Background 1 1.2 Study Objectives 2 1.3 Study Area 2 1.4 Scope of Work 3 1.5 Glossary 3 1.6 Level Datum 4 1.7 Acknowledgements 4 2 DESIGN LIFE AND RISK FOR COASTAL MANAGEMENT IN THE SHOALHAVEN 5 2.1 General 5 2.2 Design Life for Coastal Developments 5 2.3 Traditional Method to Determine Degree of Coastal Erosion Hazard 6 2.4 Risk-based Determination of Coastal Erosion Hazard Lines 7 3 VULNERABILITY RANKING OF SCC BEACHES 10 4 AVAILABILITY OF SMALL SCALE SAND RESERVES FOR EROSION MANAGEMENT AT SCC BEACHES 11 4.1 Sand Quantities required for Long Term Shoreline Protection 11 4.2 Possible Sand Quantities for Short to Medium Term Protection sourced from Estuary and Entrance Sites in Shoalhaven 11 5 EXISTING “MAKE-SAFE/MAKE-GOOD” PROVISIONS 15 5.1 Introduction 15 5.2 Generic Provisions 15 5.3 Specific Provisions for Most Vulnerable SCC Beaches 15 5.3.1 Culburra 15 5.3.2 Currarong 16 5.3.3 Callala Beach 16 5.3.4 Collingwood Beach 16 5.3.5 Narrawallee Beach 16 5.3.6 Mollymook Beach 17 6 PROPOSED “END-STATE” STRUCTURAL PROVISIONS 18 6.1 Introduction 18 6.2 Shoalhaven Heads Beach 18 6.3 Culburra Beach 19 6.4 Warrain Beach 19 6.5 Currarong Beach 20 6.6 Callala Bay Beach 20 6.6.1 Long-term Management Scheme addressing Erosion and Access 21 6.6.2 Meachnical Sand Bypassing of Boat Ramp Reclamation 21 6.7 Callala Beach 22 Shoalhaven Coastal Erosion Remediation - i - Final Draft 8A0386gpb_17-2-14_report.docx July 2014 Northern Shoalhaven NRFM Committee, 11 August 2014 - Item 5 6.8 Collingwood Beach 25 6.1 Narrawallee Beach 27 6.2 Mollymook Beach 27 7 ADAPTIVE MANAGEMENT CONCEPTS 30 7.1 General 30 7.2 Monitoring and Trigger Response 30 7.3 Staging of Works 31 7.4 Demonstration Projects and Trials 31 8 STRATEGIES FOR TRANSITIONAL WORKS BETWEEN “MAKE- SAFE/MAKE-GOOD” AND “END-STATE” STRUCTURES 32 8.1 Introduction 32 8.2 Generic Transitional Works Schemes 32 8.2.1 Transitional Arrangements for Revetment Works 32 8.2.2 Transitional Arrangements involving Sustainable Recycling of Beach Sand 36 8.3 Suggestions for Transitional Works Schemes at Particular Beaches 43 8.3.1 Shoalhaven Heads Beach 43 8.3.2 Currarong Beach 44 8.3.1 Callala Bay Beach 48 8.3.2 Callala Beach 48 8.3.3 Collingwood Beach 50 8.3.4 Narrawallee Beach 53 8.3.5 Mollymook Beach 53 9 IMPORTANCE OF FULLY VEGETATED DUNE SYSTEMS 56 10 ADDITIONAL INVESTIGATIONS REQUIRED 57 11 REFERENCES 59 Shoalhaven Coastal Erosion Remediation - ii - Final Draft 8A0386gpb_17-2-14_report.docx July 2014 Northern Shoalhaven NRFM Committee, 11 August 2014 - Item 5 1 INTRODUCTION 1.1 Background Shoalhaven City Council (SCC) has recently prepared its draft Coastal Zone Management Plan covering all 35 breaches in its Local Government Area (Umwelt, 2012). Draft Coastal Emergency Action Subplans have also been prepared for the high risk beaches (Umwelt, 2011), as well as an Asset Management Plan for Council’s coastal and estuary assets (SCC, 2014). In the event of storms, a range of “make-safe/make-good” provisions are already in place (Section 5). These can be introduced at all of the 35 beaches. In the last two years, Council has developed conceptual designs for “end-state” protection of property at its three “authorised location” beaches; namely at Mollymook, Collingwood and Callala Beaches. These are costly to implement and are presently unaffordable. An adaptive works strategy is required for moving from “make-safe/make-good” to “end- state” protection. Ideally this should be set in a risk context involving triggers based on distance from assets to the erosion escarpment. The strategy is needed covering Council’s primary beaches. A largely generic response would be provided under the current investigation, but individualised at those beaches where higher vulnerability rankings occur. The programs would be staged and affordable. Listed north the south, the primary beaches are: Shoalhaven Heads Beach Culburra Beach Warrain Beach Currawong Beach Callala Bay Beach Callala Beach Collingwood Beach Narrawallee Beach Mollymook Beach Haskoning Australia (HKA) has been retained by SCC to develop a suitable adaptive strategy for making the transition from “make-good/make-safe” to “end-state”. The issues need to be explained succinctly, and misconceptions addressed. Clear and logical outputs are sought to assist Council in its consultations with stakeholders. Numerous coastal processes, management and monitoring investigations undertaken by SCC are available to inform the new strategy. Shoalhaven Coastal Erosion Remediation - 1 - Final Draft 8A0386gpb_17-2-14_report.docx July 2014 Northern Shoalhaven NRFM Committee, 11 August 2014 - Item 5 1.2 Study Objectives Council is seeking a coastal engineer-endorsed strategy to bridge “make-safe/make- good” provisions, to “end-state” protection arrangements. The strategy is to identify a range of adaptive works and associated approximate costs. Works would be implemented incrementally to address progressive exposure based on triggers, and preferably contributing towards community-supported “end state” works. The strategy would: highlight works at Council’s most vulnerable beach sites, but also develop generic responses and principles for its other beaches; and be aimed at informing Council’s ongoing beach community consultation program, to recommence shortly with Mollymook and Collingwood Beaches. Management of beach accessways is a priority for SCC. However, the type and number of accessways must be appropriate to the traffic that they support. Concepts and proposals put forward in the strategy must allow for all-ability access. The strategy would reference relevant standards and industry accepted coastal engineering texts where appropriate. 1.3 Study Area Coastal management by SCC is focused on nine key beaches, listed north to south as follows: 1. Shoalhaven Heads Beach 2. Culburra Beach 3. Warrain Beach 4. Currawong Beach 5. Callala Bay Beach 6. Callala Beach 7. Collingwood Beach 8. Narrawallee Beach 9. Mollymook Beach Assets are at risk from coastal processes under current conditions at all of these beaches. The study area covers all Shoalhaven local government area beaches of which there are 35, but retains its focus on the most vulnerable beaches in the LGA. Shoalhaven Coastal Erosion Remediation - 2 - Final Draft 8A0386gpb_17-2-14_report.docx July 2014 Northern Shoalhaven NRFM Committee, 11 August 2014 - Item 5 1.4 Scope of Work A scope of work was developed through discussions between SCC, OEH and HKA. These discussions culminated in a meeting held at HKA offices on 11 February 2014, and further discussions between HKA and Council to clarify the study deliverables. The agreed scope of work covers the following: Overview of design life and risk for coastal management in the Shoalhaven: - Design life - Traditional coastal hazard lines - Risk-based coastal hazard lines Vulnerability ranking of SCC beaches Availability of small scale sand reserves for erosion management at SCC beaches Existing “make-safe/make-good” provisions Proposed “end-state” structural provisions Adaptive strategies for transitional arrangements from “make-safe/make-good” to “end-state” structures - Generic ideas - Staging of works - Monitoring and triggers Followup investigations 1.5 Glossary “end state” engineering design for comprehensive protection of private and public assets at risk to current standards and development planning horizons within industry accepted projections for NSW wave climate and climate change scenarios. “make safe – involves assessing storm damage, closing dangerous beach access make good” ways, reshaping the beach erosion scarp to provide for reasonable public access. Responding to storm damage with suitable rationalisation of numbers of accessways, positions and design as proposed in Council’s Asset Management Plan. tombolo one or more sandbars or spits that connect an island to the mainland ZSA Zone of Slope Adjustment in accordance with Wedge Failure Plane model (Figure 1). In simple terms, an unstable zone of the dune at the back of the eroded beach which, when it dries out after the storm has passed, would slump to a more stable slope. ZRFC Zone of Reduced Foundation Capacity in accordance with Wedge Failure Plane model (Figure 1). In simple terms, a partially unstable zone of the dune during a coastal erosion event, landward of the Zone of Slope Adjustment, within which it is not acceptable to locate foundations for coastal buildings and infrastructure. Shoalhaven Coastal Erosion Remediation - 3 - Final Draft 8A0386gpb_17-2-14_report.docx July 2014 Northern Shoalhaven NRFM Committee, 11 August 2014 - Item 5 1.6 Level Datum All reference to Reduced Level in this report is in metres relative to Australian Height Datum (AHD). AHD is approximately current Mean Sea Level at the Australian coastline. 1.7 Acknowledgements RHDHV would like to acknowledge the assistance provided by Ray Massie and Isabelle Ghetti in steering this investigation on behalf of Shoalhaven City Council. Shoalhaven Coastal Erosion Remediation - 4 - Final Draft 8A0386gpb_17-2-14_report.docx July 2014 Northern Shoalhaven NRFM Committee, 11 August 2014 - Item 5 2 DESIGN LIFE AND RISK FOR COASTAL MANAGEMENT IN THE SHOALHAVEN 2.1 General Coastal hazards are primarily related to erosion.