Baggies Beach bank erosion tackled

BAGGIES Beach goers will have noticed the construction taking place on the banks near the Warnadoone Skiboat Club in the last few weeks.

The banks are being reinforced with sand-filled hessian bags in an effort to negate the bending river to continue eroding the bank.

The initial washaway of the bank occurred as a result of the 10 October storm in 2017, and since then the river has been flowing up against the bank, jeopardising the buildings which rest on top of it. Geo-engineered bags are now being placed at the base of the bank to avoid more washaway from occurring.

Those viewing the site will notice an extension of beach sand that has been placed in the river at the base of the bank. The river’s width will not be altered as this is merely a temporary dry route for the machines to pass along and utilise when laying the bags between this sand and the eroding bank.

More bags will be placed further towards the skiboat club and the sea side, right up to the stormwater pipe.

Ward 97’s Cllr Andre Beetge confirmed that the construction being undertaken is secure and on track to be completed by the end of the month, in time for the festive season.

Cllr Beetge explained that the reinforcement is only taking place now, over a year after the big storm, as permission had to be sought from the Department of Water and Sanitation, which has now been granted, for the project to commence.