{"id":572695,"date":"2026-03-29T19:47:15","date_gmt":"2026-03-29T19:47:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/572695\/"},"modified":"2026-03-29T19:47:15","modified_gmt":"2026-03-29T19:47:15","slug":"mettams-pool-multi-million-dollar-coastal-defence-plans-revealed-to-save-beach-from-erosion","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/572695\/","title":{"rendered":"Mettams Pool: Multi-million-dollar coastal defence plans revealed to save beach from erosion"},"content":{"rendered":"

An artificial reef could be installed off Mettams Pool in North Beach as part of the City of Stirling\u2019s<\/a> long-term plan to halt ongoing erosion at the popular spot, as the ocean continues to eat away at the shoreline and creep closer to West Coast Drive.<\/p>\n

An investigation commissioned by the city into more permanent coastal adaptation options has identified a submerged artificial reef as one of the leading long-term solutions to stabilise the coastline, in addition to ongoing sand replenishment work.<\/p>\n

It also identified a low-crest vertical wall to be investigated further.<\/p>\n

Based on the study, a report from city administration is recommending that the city undertake further investigation and develop the two preferred adaptation options at the beaches, along with ongoing sand replenishment to maintain the shoreline.<\/p>\n

The city said the submerged breakwater would act as a multipurpose artificial reef, designed to reduce wave energy and limit erosion, and it could enhance swimming, surfing and snorkelling conditions.<\/p>\n

The report noted the addition of a seawall could \u201cprovide essential protection\u201d for West Coast Drive and the shared path.<\/p>\n

Just metres from the road, Mettams Pool is classified as one of WA\u2019s<\/a> coastal erosion hotspots.<\/p>\n

A report released by the City of Stirling in 2023 found that Mettams and Watermans Bay are at extreme risk of coastal erosion as early as 2045 if immediate action is not taken to address the impacts of rising sea levels along the Stirling coastline.<\/p>\n

Initial construction of the reefs, including sand replenishment, is estimated at $8.9 million, with 50 years of maintenance projected to cost $12.5m.<\/p>\n

\"TheCamera IconThe Mettams Pool Gazebo during a storm in 2020. Credit: City of Stirling<\/p>\n

Although the most costly of all options assessed, they believe the reef could have the greatest impact, with officials estimating it could reduce annual sand loss from around 1200 cubic metres to 700 cubic metres.<\/p>\n

However, officials admit more investigation is needed to fully understand the reef\u2019s design, costs, and potential impacts on the beach and local marine environment.<\/p>\n

\u201cDue to the high-level nature of the current study, the complexity of the site and underdeveloped concept design, there exists a relative lack of understanding of the costs, benefits, impacts, and outcomes of this option,\u201d the report states.<\/p>\n

\u201cFurther investigations are required to better understand what size and shape reef would provide coastal protection benefits, and what impacts such a design would have on the existing amenity and benthic habitat.\u201d<\/p>\n

Estimates put the construction of a low-crest seawall, including sand replenishment works, at $2.8m, with 50-year maintenance costs projected at $11.6m.<\/p>\n

City officers said during severe erosion events, the wall would have the capacity to limit eroded volumes from the south section of the beach.<\/p>\n

\u201c(The seawall) is recommended for consideration because it is practical, relatively affordable and offers protection to assets that will be essential in the coming decades,\u201d the report states.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhile seawalls have not been favourable amongst the community, this option is relatively discreet compared to previous proposals and joins two existing sea walls at the gazebo and the amenities block.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe cost estimates are high-level but are considered reliable due to confidence in the design.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

The city said erosion pressure at Watermans Bay was considered \u201cfar less critical\u201d than at Mettams Pool, so detailed work on coastal protection at Watermans had been deferred until 2027-28, aiming for completion by 2030.<\/p>\n

The long-term coastal protection report comes as the city once again begins transferring more than 5000 cubic metres of sand from Trigg Beach to Mettams Pool to replenish the shoreline.<\/p>\n

Known as sand nourishment, the works help build a buffer dune to reduce beach erosion during the winter storm season.<\/p>\n

The sand is being sourced from Trigg Beach, as a natural accumulation at the upper back of the beach provides an \u201cideal source\u201d to replenish Mettams Pool without disrupting the surf break.<\/p>\n

Sand is being moved through the Saunders Street carpark in Trigg, with most of the work carried out at night to reduce public impact.<\/p>\n

The works, which began on Sunday, March 22, are scheduled to finish by April 1.<\/p>\n

The city\u2019s recommendation on the coastal adaptation options was discussed by the Stirling Community and Resources Committee last Tuesday night, and is expected to go before the council for a vote on Tuesday, March 31.<\/p>\n

\"SandCamera IconSand replenishment works are often required at Mettams Pool due to erosion. Credit: Justin Bianchini<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"An artificial reef could be installed off Mettams Pool in North Beach as part of the City of…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":572696,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[64,63,44,47,46,45],"class_list":["post-572695","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-australia","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-news","tag-north","tag-perth","tag-wa-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/572695","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=572695"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/572695\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/572696"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=572695"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=572695"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=572695"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}