Beach Sand Nourishment Scoping Study
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Prepared for 18 February 2010 Sydney Coastal Councils Group Inc. Beach Sand Nourishment Scoping Study Maintaining Sydney’s Beach Amenity Against Climate Change Sea Level Rise Beach Sand Nourishment Scoping Study - Maintaining Sydney's Beach Amenity Against Climate Change Sea Level Rise AECOM Beach Sand Nourishment Scoping Study Maintaining Sydney's Beach Amenity Against Climate Change Sea Level Rise Prepared for Sydney Coastal Councils Group Inc. Prepared by AECOM Australia Pty Ltd Level 11, 44 Market Street, Sydney NSW 2000, PO Box Q410, QVB Post Office NSW 1230, Australia T +61 2 8295 3600 F +61 2 9262 5060 www.aecom.com ABN 20 093 846 925 18 February 2010 60097867 © AECOM Australia Pty Ltd 2010 The information contained in this document produced by AECOM Australia Pty Ltd is solely for the use of the Client identified on the cover sheet for the purpose for which it has been prepared and AECOM Australia Pty Ltd undertakes no duty to or accepts any responsibility to any third party who may rely upon this document. All rights reserved. No section or element of this document may be removed from this document, reproduced, electronically stored or transmitted in any form without the written permission of AECOM Australia Pty Ltd. Revision C - 18 February 2010 22 Beach Sand Nourishment Scoping Study - Maintaining Sydney's Beach Amenity Against Climate Change Sea Level Rise AECOM Quality Information Document Beach Sand Nourishment Scoping Study Ref 60097867 Date 18 February 2010 James Walker, Thomas Pinzone, Jasvinder Opkar, Leonid Bronfentrinker, Prepared by Craig Niles, Deborah Bowden, Lindsay Shepherd, Alan Jones (Australian Museum Business Services), Theresa Dye (Cardno Ecology Lab) Reviewed by Lex Nielsen Revision History Authorised Revision Revision Details Date Name/Position Signature A 06/10/2009 Draft Peter Fountain Industry Director - Maritime B 09/12/2009 Final Draft Peter Fountain Industry Director - Maritime C 18/02/2010 Final Peter Fountain Industry Director - Maritime Revision C - 18 February 2010 44 Beach Sand Nourishment Scoping Study - Maintaining Sydney's Beach Amenity Against Climate Change Sea Level Rise AECOM Table of Contents Executive Summary i 1.0 Introduction 1 1.1 Threatened Assets and Amenity 1 1.2 Scope of Project 3 1.3 Project Background 5 2.0 Climate Change and Sea-Level Rise 6 2.1 Geological and Recent Historical Perspective of Sea-level rise 6 2.1.1 Geological 6 2.1.2 Recent Historical 7 2.2 Sea-Level Rise Projections 8 2.3 Other Climate Change Influences on Coastal Processes 8 3.0 Beach Nourishment as a Coastal Management Strategy 9 3.1 Relevant International Projects - A Brief Overview 10 3.1.1 The European Experience 10 3.1.2 The USA 11 3.2 Historical and Present Applications in Australia 13 3.2.1 Southern Gold Coast and Tweed River Bypass 13 3.2.2 Northern Gold Coast Beaches 14 3.2.3 Townsville 14 3.2.4 Port Stephens 15 3.2.5 Bate Bay 16 3.2.6 Other Projects 17 3.3 Discussion 17 4.0 Beach Nourishment Volumes 19 4.1 Bruun Rule 19 4.2 Required Native Sand Volumes 20 4.3 Offshore Sand Bodies 22 4.4 Suitability as a Nourishment Source 24 4.4.1 Typical Native Sand Properties 25 4.4.2 Potential Sand Sources 25 4.4.3 Most Suitable Borrow Sites 28 4.5 A Practical Sand Nourishment Campaign 30 5.0 Sand Extraction 32 5.1 The Metromix Marine Aggregate Proposal 32 5.2 Operating Constraints 32 5.2.1 Weather 32 5.2.2 Water Depths 33 5.2.3 Operating Times 33 5.2.4 Sailing Distances 33 5.3 Extraction Methodology 33 5.3.1 Types of Dredgers 33 5.3.2 Recommended Dredging Method 35 5.4 Physical Impacts 35 5.4.1 Generalised Physical Constraints for the Design of Extraction Configurations 36 5.4.2 Potential Impacts of the Metromix Marine Aggregate Proposal 36 5.4.3 Wave Climate 36 5.4.4 Tidal Currents 36 5.4.5 Coastline 36 5.4.6 Inner Shelf 37 5.5 Ecological Impacts 37 5.5.1 Potential Impacts of the Metromix Marine Aggregate Proposal 38 5.5.2 Relevant International Projects 41 5.6 Social Impacts 42 5.6.1 Literature Review 42 6.0 Nourishment Technique 45 Revision C - 18 February 2010 55 Beach Sand Nourishment Scoping Study - Maintaining Sydney's Beach Amenity Against Climate Change Sea Level Rise AECOM 6.1 Operating Constraints 45 6.1.1 Beach Closure 45 6.1.2 Weather 45 6.1.3 Water Depth 45 6.2 Sand Placement Methods 45 6.2.1 Offshore Placement 45 6.2.2 Onshore Placement 46 6.2.3 Beach Scraping 47 6.3 Environmental Impacts 47 6.3.1 Inter-tidal Habitat 47 6.3.2 Subaqueous Near-Shore Habitat 48 6.4 Social Impacts 48 6.4.1 Media Review 49 6.4.2 Targeted Stakeholder Workshop 50 6.4.3 Users of the Coastal Zone 52 6.5 Recommended Nourishment Technique 53 7.0 Nourishment Costs 55 8.0 Case Study 1: Collaroy-Narrabeen Beach 59 8.1 Physical 60 8.1.1 Do Nothing Scenario 62 8.1.2 Nourishment Requirements 63 8.2 Environmental 63 8.2.1 Do Nothing Scenario 63 8.2.2 Nourishment Impacts 63 8.3 Social 63 8.3.1 Do Nothing Scenario 64 8.3.2 Nourishment 64 8.4 Economic 64 8.4.1 Costs 65 8.4.2 Benefits 65 8.4.3 Cost-Benefit Analysis Results 66 8.4.4 Sensitivity Analysis 67 8.4.5 Summary of Economic Viability 69 9.0 Case Study 2: Manly Ocean Beach 70 9.1 Physical 71 9.1.1 Do Nothing Scenario 72 9.1.2 Nourishment Requirements 72 9.2 Environmental 73 9.2.1 Do Nothing Scenario 73 9.2.2 Nourishment Impacts 73 9.3 Social 73 9.3.1 Do Nothing Scenario 74 9.3.2 Nourishment 74 9.4 Economic 74 9.4.1 Costs 75 9.4.2 Benefits 75 9.4.3 Cost-Benefit Analysis Results 76 9.4.4 Sensitivity Analysis 77 9.4.5 Summary of Economic Viability 79 10.0 Case Study 3: Bate Bay 80 10.1 Physical 81 10.1.1 Do Nothing Scenario 82 10.1.2 Nourishment Requirements 82 10.2 Environmental 82 10.2.1 Do Nothing Scenario 83 10.2.2 Nourishment Impacts 83 10.3 Social 83 10.3.1 Do Nothing Scenario 83 Revision C - 18 February 2010 66 Beach Sand Nourishment Scoping Study - Maintaining Sydney's Beach Amenity Against Climate Change Sea Level Rise AECOM 10.3.2 Nourishment 84 10.4 Economic 84 10.4.1 Costs 84 10.4.2 Benefits 85 10.4.3 Cost-Benefit Analysis Results 86 10.4.4 Sensitivity Analysis 87 10.4.5 Summary of Economic Viability 88 11.0 Sand Extraction and Nourishment Approval Process 89 11.1 Project Details 89 11.2 Key Legislation 89 11.2.1 Background 89 11.2.2 Approvals process overview 90 11.2.3 State Government policy in respect of offshore sand extraction for beach nourishment 91 11.3 Approvals Strategy 91 11.3.1 Approvals Process 91 11.4 Approval Process Summary 93 11.4.1 Feasibility 93 11.4.2 Critical success factors 93 12.0 Environment Impact Assessment Requirements 94 12.1 Director General Requirements under Part 3A 94 12.1.1 Agency Consultation 95 12.1.2 Agency Responses 95 12.1.3 Formal Environmental Assessment Requirements 96 12.2 Community and Stakeholder Consultation 96 12.3 Required Studies and Data for Feasibility Phase and Part 3A Approval Process 97 12.4 Additional Studies and Data 98 13.0 Community and Consultation Plan – A Framework 100 13.1 Key Stakeholder Engagement Strategy 100 13.1.1 Establish a Project Control Group (PCG) 100 13.1.2 Stakeholder Working Group (SWG) 101 13.1.3 Community Reference Group 101 13.1.4 Other stakeholder engagement 101 13.2 Community Education and Consultation 102 13.2.1 Information and Education 102 13.2.2 Communication and Media 103 13.2.3 Community Consultation 103 13.2.4 Application of Communication and Consultation 103 14.0 Business Case Outline 105 14.1 NSW Gateway Review Process 105 14.2 Summary of Cost Benefit for each of the Beach Case Studies 105 14.2.1 Case 1: Collaroy-Narrabeen Beach 105 14.2.2 Case 2: Manly Beach 106 14.2.3 Case 3: Bate Bay 106 14.3 Financing Mechanisms 106 14.3.1 USA 106 14.3.2 Europe 107 14.3.3 Application to Sydney Beaches 108 15.0 Conclusions 110 16.0 References 111 Appendix A How Beach Nourishment Projects Work Appendix B Native Sand Volume Calculations Appendix C Offshore Mineral Titles Revision C - 18 February 2010 77 Beach Sand Nourishment Scoping Study - Maintaining Sydney's Beach Amenity Against Climate Change Sea Level Rise AECOM Appendix D Offshore Extraction - Coastal Processes Impacts Appendix E Offshore Extraction - Ecological Impacts Appendix F Nourishment - Ecological Impacts Appendix G Social Stakeholder Workshop Appendix H Economic Evaluation Appendix I Planning Approvals Process Appendix J EA Communications Revision C - 18 February 2010 88 Executive Summary Beach Sand Nourishment Scoping Study - Maintaining Sydney's Beach Amenity Against Climate Change Sea Level Rise AECOM Executive Summary Shoreline erosion issues are not unique to Sydney or the NSW coastline and it has long been held that beach nourishment is, in many cases, the best long-term management strategy. If sufficient sand deposits are available for nourishment works, hazards associated with storm events and sea-level rise can be alleviated.