Media response - Christies Beach seawall repair

Published on 05 December 2024

Response to ABC News

• I’d like to ask the City of Onkaparinga for comment on the following regarding the seawall repair at Christies Beach. Locals were surprised this week to see what is effectively a stone groyne constructed from adjacent the stormwater outlet and well out into the water. This was reportedly not mentioned in recent public meetings and, while your website says some areas will be closed off during the seawall repair at Witton Bluff, it doesn’t state there will be a rock wall constructed into what is a popular surfing and swimming beach. What is the purpose of this stone wall and how long will it be in place? What consideration was given to beach users of this location, including surfers and body surfers who frequent in high numbers that exact location, known as Dumpsters, during larger swells, and to who those stones pose a serious risk? If it is long term, has there been any studies into how sand drift will be affected at Christies Beach, both in the water and on the beach? And finally, is the Witton Bluff Base Trail project going to schedule and have there been any challenges along the way?

Comments attributed to Kirk Richardson, Director Operations

A row of rocks was placed near the southernmost part of Christies Beach to the water’s edge this week as a temporary barrier for beachgoers.

The barrier will be complemented with signs discouraging beachgoers from approaching or crossing the rocks to go on the southernmost patch of beach, which will soon become an active construction site for a project to repair the sea wall at Witton Bluff’s northern side.

Rocks for the sea wall repair project will be stockpiled on this patch of beach where heavy machinery will also be operating, so the temporary barrier has been installed to keep the community safe (as an alternative to fencing, which would be blown over by tides and in strong coastal winds).

We encourage swimmers, surfers and other beachgoers to keep a safe distance from the barrier when in the water.

The Witton Bluff Base Trail project is progressing well and to schedule. The much-awaited boardwalk is nearing completion and will open to the public later in December, with the sea wall repair project – which will help protect Christies Beach’s cliffs from erosion and sea-level rise – the next step in the wider project.

Once the sea wall repairs are completed, work will shift to upgrading the Christies Beach path to the north of the new boardwalk, aiming for a full trail opening by mid-2025.

Funded by the City of Onkaparinga and the state and federal governments, the $9.6M for these multiple projects will provide all-abilities access, support active lifestyles, repair critical infrastructure and boost local tourism.

For more information and updates on the Witton Bluff Base Trail project, visit our Your Say page.

ENDS