Middle Park Beach is a major recreational and foreshore protection asset for both Port Phillip residents and the wider metropolitan community. Over recent years the beach has become depleted, culminating in the almost complete loss of beach sand in February 2005 after a severe storm.
In the May 2005 State budget the Government announced an allocation of up to $5 million towards the renourishment of Middle Park Beach.
The Department of Sustainability and Environment (DSE) and the City of Port Phillip (CoPP) have been working together with engineering consultants to find a sustainable solution to re-establish Middle Park Beach. This has been led by the Middle Park Beach Renourishment Steering Committee which includes members from both DSE and CoPP.
Middle Park Beach has been maintained by renourishment programs since the 1970s with the most recent temporary top up of the beach undertaken in December 2005 while a longer term solution was being investigated.
 Middle Park Project Update - April
Middle Park Beach project update - August
Preferred long term option
Following an assessment of several options, DSE and CoPP agree that renourishing the beach with about 50,000 m3 of sand and the regular transfer of sand, to top up annual losses, provides the most sustainable solution. This includes:
- Extending the McGregor St and Harold St drains so they don't discharge onto the beach and constructing a small rock groyne structure at the end of Langridge St. (Prior to the community information session timber or sandbags were considered for the small groyne, however community feedback was strongly in favour of rock).
- Burying pipework along the back of the beach to enable regular top-ups of the beach without major disturbances
- Renourishing the beach with sand from offshore
- Regularly topping up beach with sand from just offshore of Kerferd Rd jetty and St Kilda Harbour
It is planned for the works to be completed by December 2008 in time for summer. Work to finalise applications for statutory approval are underway. The commencement date for works will depend on when these approvals are granted.
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Benefits of proposed option
- Views retained
- Low capital cost (though higher ongoing cost)
- Minimal impact on beach users
- Minimal interference with natural sand movement
- Shouldn't cause erosion of neighbouring beaches
- Safety will not be compromised
- Doesn't interfere with beach cleaning
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The downsides
- Ongoing maintenance will be needed
- Beach may be subject to a more dynamic variation in beach width
- The beach will close periodically for sand transfer but this can be timed to minimise disruption
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Where will the sand come from?
Sand is required for two purposes: initial renourishment and periodic beach maintenance.
Sand for initial renourishment will come from about 1000 metres off shore. This sand is more suitable for building up the beach and more economical to retrieve. Part of the sand spit that is extending into St Kilda Harbour will also be used as the base of the new beach with the coarser offshore sand placed on top.
A sustainable supply of sand is required for ongoing renourishment. A number of sources for this sand have been identified:
- Within St Kilda Harbour
- Just offshore near the Kerferd Road Jetty
- Two sites south of the St Kilda Harbour
However, there is insufficient sand at any of these locations to provide a single ongoing resource.
Sand from Middle Park Beach is lost northwards in summer towards Kerferd Jetty and south in winter towards the St Kilda Harbour. Taking sand from St Kilda Harbour in smaller quantities will reduce the build up of sand and minimise the impact to recreational users. Securing some sand from near the Kerferd Road Jetty will help reduce some of the net loss of sand from the northwards drift. It will cause no damage to beaches north of Middle Park.
Sand was not available from the Port Phillip Bay channel deepening project for renourishment of beaches as the cost of rehandling and transporting the sand is too high, it is too fine and the water is too shallow to bring in the dredge.
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Middle Park Beach toilets and other facilities
Community feedback is being sought on three concept designs for the Middle Park Foreshore to provide toilets, showers and other facilities as well as landscaping. The concept designs are available on the council website and feedback forms are available. Feedback on the concept designs closes Friday 15 August 2008.
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For further information, please contact:
Foreshore Place Manager, City of Port Phillip 9209 6777
Department of Sustainability and Environment 13 61 86
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