Seawalls program

The Torres Strait Seawalls Program Stage 2 continues to deliver tidal inundation mitigation and protection from coastal erosion for our communities.

Boigu Seawall Boigu Seawall and bund wall construction was successfully completed in March 2022, providing 1022 metres of rock and wave return wall and 450 metres of bund wall preventing tidal inundation and flooding of the Boigu Community. The project was delivered within its allocated budget of $15 million and forms part of Stage 2 of the $40 million Seawalls Program jointly funded by the Queensland and Commonwealth Governments for coastal defence works on five low lying Torres Strait Island communities, Boigu, Poruma, Iama, Warraber and Masig. Council resolved to award the contract for construction to Koppens Development in February 2020, with onsite works delayed until August 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The project exceeded the Indigenous Economic and Employment requirements for local employment and training, with local operators trained in civil construction and plant operations, and materials sourced locally from Badu Island Quarry. Community impacts were a key consideration of the build, with access to the boat ramp, wharf, and other marine access and culturally significant sites maintained for the duration of the construction. Traditional turtle and dugong processing slabs and shoreline huts known as ‘Zar Zars’ were removed to enable the construction and were re-established following project completion. Poruma Seawall

The Poruma Seawall is designed in five stages. Stage 1 was completed in November 2018 by Council’s Civil Construction Crew, under the Torres Strait Seawalls Stage 1 Program, and stages 2-5 commenced in 2021 forming part of the Torres Strait Seawalls Stage 2 Program jointly funded by the Queensland and Commonwealth Governments.

Council’s Civil Crew is undertaking the construction of stages 2 – 5 of the Poruma seawalls, consisting of installation of 1055 metres of geobag seawalls to combat coastal erosion and tidal inundation. The geobags are engineered synthetic bags made to meet durability and environmental requirements with a smaller footprint and impact on the environment than hard structures, such as rock and concrete.

Council has worked closely with the Porumalgal Registered Native Title Body Corporate and Traditional Owners and have received great feedback from the community regarding the project. Two Poruma locals have been employed on the project as casuals and the sand used to fill the geobags was sourced locally. The project is forecasted to reach completion in November 2022.

What’s next?

The Poruma Seawall is forecasted to be completed in November 2022. But this is not the end of the Seawalls Program with Masig, Iama and Warraber seawalls forecasted to commence in 2023 as part of the currently funded Program.

Beating the tide. Construction of the Geobag wall, Poruma

Laying the foundations for a more secure future, Boigu Seawall