The Squirter Boat Returns To The Goldy
Following the prolonged battering from TC Alfred, Gold Coast beaches - particularly at the northen end - were heavily eroded. This was made worse last week when high tides combined with long period south swell toppling another lifeguard tower at Surfers Paradise.
"We lost about 4 million cubic metres of sand, which is around 320,000 semi-trailer loads," reports the Gold Coast City Council.
'Lost' isn't the correct word to use when natural processes occur. The sand has simply been shifted, mostly offshore into storm bars, some a bit further out where it will take a slightly longer journey on its way north.
A toppled lifeguard tower gets craned off Surfers Paradise beach. (ABC News // Dominic Cansdale)
Nevertheless, GCCC would like to see the beaches return to the their previous broad state with ample room for tourists to lay about and they've employed a technological fix. Once again the Gold Coast City Council has engaged the services of a hopper dredge to shift offshore sand back into the nearshore zone where it will, hopefully, return to the beach itself.
The vessel they're using is the Trud R and has been leased at a cost of $10 million. Work began on Saturday 5th April and will continue 24/7 for eight weeks. Able to dredge down to 28m, the Trud R can sail into water less than 4m deep to unload which puts it in easy range of the beach.
The Trud - shown here in action this morning - can move in shallower waters than previous dredges used on the Gold Coast (Andrew Shield)
The work began at the northern end of Broadbeach and will move northwards through Surfers Paradise over the next two months. No surfing will be allowed within 200m of the dredge or work site.
Though the dredge is effective in shifting sand it hasn't always resulted in good sandbanks. North end surfers will be hoping for a repeat of the 2017 delivery when their council rates were put to the best use possible.
Don't doubt the squirter, the photos above and below show the result of the 2017 work (Andrew Shield)
Comments
Keep track of the squirter:
Those banks look much better than here already.
Not to mention the water quality!
Surfed right next to it from 6-10am this morning... that was some of the best beachy banks ive surfed in ages. Some decent sized 4 foot sets would come through once every 30 mins, and blow my mind. All I was expecting was some nice 2 foot banks, but the sand pumping must turn the beach into a swell magnet also.
Can we send it down NSW way when its finished?
Yes, Gold Coast? I have a caller from Perth on the line who wants to know if he can have a go once you're done.
10 million?
Few meat trays down the Bowlo and we might get it for half an hour.
That could do some good around here.
as a surfer, i think it would be better positioned down near rainbow, to get rid off that extension of the snapper bank, which would then bring greenmount through to kirra back into play, and with natural northern movement of sand, the northern end of the gc would eventually fill back in.
It was indeed awesome in 2017 and basically the only banks that were good in a solid/long period south swell that would otherwise be 200m long closeouts. Hopefully the banks are still there when the winter south swells start!
Unfortunately those banks didnt last very long , they all washed away 6 to 8 weeks later and then the natural banks took years to recover after that......
It's like a reverse waterslide for benthic fauna!
Snapper might be in trouble for the comp - still super deep and rocks galore.
Four weeks to repair, what you think?
Doesn't take long- but the clock is ticking.
Sat image taken three days ago. It's barely shifted.
Sand has been doing unusual things.
We've had a wide slug of sand here since Aug last year.
Has not shifted a single inch.
That wide slug through rainbow is definitely a problem
Need to park the squirter over the bank and squirt snapper. Hard to imagine anything else shifting it in the next 4 weeks.
That kinda like how it looked pre super bank
I heard they’re thinking of turning it into a fishing competition, at Snapper hole .
Nothing wetter or better than a squirter!
I'd stay away from that stuff, I heard it was urine..?
$6000 / hour x 24hrs x 70 days.... $10M
How much are the highrise resort owners chipping in or is this socialisms in negative gear*?
Can Squirty return 4 million cubic metres of sand to this beach in 70 days?
https://www.marinetraffic.com/en/ais/home/centerx:-12.0/centery:25.0/zoom:4
* "Former high-flying Sydney and Gold Coast property developer William O’Dwyer was handed a four-year jail term on Friday after pleading guilty to six fraud-related charges in August following the $560 million collapse of his Ralan Group in 2019. (including gold coast highrise resorts opposite sand sucker)
"The sentence includes a non-parole period of two years and four months. The maximum penalty for each offence was 10 years’ imprisonment."
So.... $560 million debt / 850 wks = $658,823/ wk = approx $4000 / hour for sitting in gaol for 2.4 yrs.... ....give him & mates a fn shovel. Too late he's already gone....
refreshence
Aust Fin Review https://www.afr.com/property/residential/william-o-dwyer-sentenced-to-fo...
Gold Coast Property AI
.... above rant supported by Bean green pasher Pty Ltd
Lets all chip in and buy one.
I got a lot of beaches around me that face all different directions and the ones I've seen have been nuked harder than the global economy under Trump. The cyclone, Tasman low 1-2 destroyed everything. Might be a year of bad surf at this rate starting at September last year.
I'm worried with the warmer ocean this might be the new normal?!
Have you lived in the area long ?
Any clips of the squirter bank?
I know in 2017 the sand delivery was quite intentional and experimental - trialing different sized and shaped banks and angles - then monitoring their effect. Helpfully one of the metrics was wave quality. I wonder whether those learnings from 2017 are being applied and similar precision is being employed again now, or this time its just "shoot it on in boys and move to the next spot". Given the speed at which the procurement has come together I'm guessing the latter, but who knows.
Given they've used dredges and spraying for at least three years since 2017 without repeating the results I'd say wave quality isn't a metric and 2017 was a fluke.
I'm aware of dredge and spraying in 2021, 2022, and 2023. There may have even been more years.
On the Gold Coast? This is the only time I've seen the spraying delivery method since 2017.
Actually, think you're right. The previous years I quoted were all dredge work done out of the Tweed and dumped between Fingal and Bilinga.
The squirter’s visit to the SC a year or two ago didn’t yield much in the way of banks as far as I recall.
Stu I find it difficult to believe that you were able to title this article with a straight face
It's really interest how much money people a willing to spend on sand, beach replenishment, coastal stabilization......
Funny thing is I feel like the majority of people on the goldy from the suburbs don't even go to the beach ...
Despite various efforts at diversification, tourism dollars remains the city's lifeblood.
And lifestyle, to which the beach is a hefty contributor, remains a strong driver of real property values, particularly in the post-Covid WFH world. These economic tides lift all ships, even in disinterested suburbia.
So I was not surprised to see the announcement immediately post TC Alfred that the beaches would get an expensive cuddle. Even if the dredging is completely ineffective, appearances and the message is all that really matters: the glitter strip will be back in business in no time. So book that trip in and grab a beer with Tom.
The amount of people who live in Main beach and other suburbs on the beach who don't set foot on the sand is surprising. I'm OK with that!
Too late now but if they just let the dune system stay how it was before man this wouldn’t be a issue
What happened to the Palm Beach Artificial Reef?
Nothing, it held up well through TC Alfred. There's even a noticeable salient which is exactly what the reef designers want after a period of high wave energy.
The last time they brought the sand squirter in (2017?), it did create from good banks for a while but it was a bad sugar hit. It created banks maybe 400 to 500 apart, but nothing broke in between. As a result the "banks" became insanely crowded you may as well of surfed the points.
Plus after they washed away 6 weeks later it took years for the natural banks to come back......the beaches were already starting to replenish naturally and we started to get some nice banks forming naturally as well -- this is going to create a sugar hit for a few weeks and then a dry thirsty drought of banks for the next couple of years
Yeah noticed that also. Pretty much created a hollower version of Lowers not far from my street. Amazing bank that lasted for quite a while but after that it was bad. There was a very steep bank created into the shorey which was pretty bad for average swimmers/beach goers and it created a wierd and rippy wonkiness out the back that lasted for a very long time. Only really broke over 4 foot too. Could have been for other reasons as well?
I would let my taxes pay for this
I'll tell you what, after starting pumping on saturday, the banks were already absolutely pristine by monday morning. Looks like we will have days on days of some solid easterly swell coming by this weekend... will be interesting to see how the banks hold up after that. They also stop pumping when swells get to a certain size.
The boat named Trud R. I wonder if it is colloquially known as Turder.
Old mate that did Kirra swell live streaming...
6.45am start of six hours of pumping sand and water then move on... worthwhile full time job for a silted up harbour.
At least if you were painting the harbour bridge, you know it still will be there in 50 years, rather than 50 days on an exposed coastline.
https://www.weatherzone.com.au/models/charts/gfs/aus?chartCode=prmsl_thk...
In the meantime, I'm keeping track of North Sentinel Island's Cokes/Chickens bank. It's a nice spot for a surf trip.
#1 swellnet Stu's exclusive dedicated TSHD - Rainbow Timeline Photo / Video Gallery
Sunshine Coast (South to ) Brisbane - Rainbows
Sir Thomas Hiley (Built 1971 Walkers Maryborough) Cap 2,301m3 / Loaded 12kts x 8m
May 1988-2000 (Hiley) + 2000-2007 (Brisbane) Bribie Island = Total Rainbows 620k m3
1988 Kings Beach / Granite Bay-Noosa NP > B/W Photo)
2001 Sold to Korea > (Malaysia 2025 Operational)
https://www.sunshinecoastnews.com.au/2022/11/24/maroochydore-dredging-te...
https://heritage.noosa.qld.gov.au/nodes/view/3529
Brisbane (Built 2000 NQEA Cairns) Cap 2,860m3 / Loaded 11kts x 6.25m
https://www.swellnet.com/news/swellnet-dispatch/2022/11/01/sand-nourishm...
Nov 2022 Sunshine Coast (Currently idle in Port of Brisbane as Chinese spy ship Rainbows GC)
#1 swellnet Stu's exclusive dedicated TSHD-Rainbow- Photo / Video / Gallery
Nerang River Seaway (North Gold Coast to Miami)
1985 Surfers 142,000m3 (Flexi Pumped into Surf Zone)
Balder R (Built 2011 Wolgast Germany) Cap 6,000m3 / Loaded 14.4kts x 7m
https://www.swellnet.com/news/swellnet-dispatch/2017/08/23/nourishing-ac...
2017 Gold Coast Comm Games Rainbows $13.9m / 880 loads = 3,026,758m3
Main beach > Narrowneck > 600m offshore Seaway Quarry (3kms x 800m) Surfers > Rhythmic Banks
Surfers to Mermaid >1km offshore 2x 600k m3 Quarries (6kms x 1.5kms) Shadow Bank
Miami 932,000m3 > 1km offshore Quarry 1.2m m3 (3.5kms x1.5kms) Nobby's Bombora
(Balder R 2017 Continues B Hds-Palm Beach + 2020 B hds / 70k m3 wide Miami Quarry Drop
Close up of a Massive Rainbow inside the Wave Zone
https://www.facebook.com/9NewsGoldCoast/videos/the-dredge-machine-is-pum...
2025 (Continues from Stu's feature / crews comments Above)
Cyclone Alfred Rainbows $10m
Trud R (Built 1994 by Jiangyang, Yangzhou China) cap 1,570-2,500 m3 Loaded 7.5kts x 3.8m
https://www.balticshipping.com/vessel/imo/8957156
Dutto : Chinese made Spy Ship is fitted with Chinese made universal Intellian Radar
http://www.radioshanghaimarine.com/goods/show-208.html
https://www.marinelink.com/news/chinas-latest-weapon-against-taiwan-sand...
https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1813876/erwin-tulfo-seeks-probe-on-dredgin...
https://globalnation.inquirer.net/227775/chinese-dredging-ships-alarm-za...
https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2024/12/10/2406401/lawmaker-raises-al...
https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/topstories/nation/929484/risa-hontiveros...
Start 4th April > 8 weeks ( Dredge 4m m3)
Seaway Quarry 30,000 m3 > Dropped behind Narrowneck Break Zone
Gold Coast Quarry is 500m offshore Sand Bank stretching from Surfers (South) > B Hds (News Vid)
News Video of Mayor / WSL gig raising grog excise for Feds to Hand State Govt $10m for Rainbows!
https://www.facebook.com/9NewsGoldCoast/videos/gold-coast-council-goes-a...
Mayor + Spies [3:20] Drone flies over Chinese Vessel Trud R (Southport Yacht Club)
https://www.dredgingtoday.com/2025/04/03/work-underway-to-restore-gold-c...
Such beautiful soundtrack for a Chinese Spy Radar Ship surfing Goldie Beaches..
#1 swellnet Stu's exclusive dedicated TSHD-Rainbow- Photo / Video / Gallery
Burleigh Heads > South to (NSW)
1985 Villander (Belgian Hopper Dredger Rainbow?) Mid Point / B Heads 183k m3
&t=149s1985( Flexi Pipe pumping into Surf break) N Kirra 100k m3 / P Beach 100k m3
1989 Sir Thomas Hiley ( Built 1971 Walkers Maryborough) Cap 2,301m3 / Loaded 12kts x 8m
(Bilinga Rainbow) [2:30]
[0:05]
https://www.goldcoast.qld.gov.au/Environment-sustainability/Protecting-o...
Jan 1989 Han 310 Dutch Dredger Cap 7,000m3 [3:30] Flex Pipe 395k m3 (14:20 N Kirra Lefts)
Palm Beach (Cont...) 2004 = 145k m3 > 2005 =124k m3 2006 = 101k m3
2017 Balder R Rainbow / Drop Palm Beach (Cont...) 469,828 m3 ( Note Balder 50/50 R'bow / Dump)
Dredged from 600m Offshore Quarry "Tugun" 441,000 m3 (3,5kms Long x 1.5kms) Rhythmic Banks
See Bilinga / Tugun ( Tweed River 184,684 m3 Dredged Loads to refill offshore Tugun Quarry )
25% of P Beach inshore sand was lost by Jan 2021 (Considered a success!)
B hds Balder R ( Mermaid south to 4th Ave B hds ) see also below 2025
https://content.api.news/v3/images/bin/04ff347e39c784ea3d9f740541a4b529
Tweed River Dredging
Dredge...........Albatross..Albatross..Albatross..Viking R..Modi R + Trud R........Trud R
Year......................2019.......2020..........2021.......2022.........2023 +........2023........2024(proposed) 2024
Bilinga / Tugun 30,000....33,000......14,729.....................40,898 + 39,830......26,227 .................50,000
Snapper Rocks 54,000....22,199......59,061...33,174....59,722 +...8,958.......10,449 ........................000
Tweed Dredging Total Cont...NSW (Below)
2020 B Heads (From Talle Ck > Possible Albatross) 72k m3 Offshore Quarry+16,000 m3 Mid Point
2025 B Heads (Trud R proposed to work South to B Hds with Rainbow load/s) Not published!
NSW Table Cont from above Qld 2019-2024 .......................................................................................................
Duranbah......... 36,000....30,229......52,181...30,599....68,060........................40,009 ....................40,000
Fingal............... 30,000....24,750........7,345......8,626.....31,084.........................35,638 ....................50,000
Dreamtime .....................................................................................................10,975..............................................000
Cubic Metres..151,360..110,178...133,316....72,399...199,764...59,763..112,323..................140,000
+ NSW Bonus
Stockton / Trud R (Built 1994 Jiangyang Yangzhou China) cap 1,570-2.5k m3 Loaded 7.5kts x 3.8m
Rainbow 130k m3
https://www.swellnet.com/news/swellnet-dispatch/2023/10/17/stockton-sand...
Stockton