Safeguarding Australia’s golden beaches

Since the early 2000s, Griffith’s strategic research partnership with the City of Gold Coast has contributed to the city’s reputation as a world leader in coastal management practices. The collaboration has seen researchers and stakeholders undertake numerous projects over the years. The most significant so far is the Gold Coast Shoreline Management Plan, a long-term strategy (now within the City's Ocean Beaches Strategy 2013-2023) that focuses on coastal physical and ecological processes, economic and community values, and beach management. Current and ongoing research incorporates urban catchment, floodplain and water resource management to enhance coastal engineering expertise and capacity in the region and contribute to a sustainable management plan for the city’s beaches over the next five decades.

For Griffith’s researchers and students, the Gold Coast environment provides an ideal, real-life laboratory to collaborate with the local community to maintain this beautiful shared aquatic ecosystem, while also learning about coastal management. The facilities and infrastructure of a multi-campus university such as Griffith offer a unique opportunity for interdisciplinary research on natural and anthropogenic changes to beaches and waterways, adaptation pathways to the changing environment, planning strategies and policies for the city including major capital engineering works, natural disaster management, potential beach erosion, and the protection, maintenance and conservation of marine life and seabird nesting areas.

Storm modelling has been an important leg of research amid the challenges posed by climate change and extreme weather conditions. These need to be balanced with managing the impact of man-made structures on the coastal environment. Griffith’s research has been critical in providing damage minimisation strategies for the City of Gold Coast to adopt in response to the major storms in the last few years. Being able to demonstrate ongoing resilience of beaches on the Gold Coast has an enormous impact on the city’s vital tourism market, and ensures our beaches are maintained and enjoyed by all.

Other coastal councils around the country and the world have been looking to the Gold Coast for ways of ensuring they have resilient coastal environments and are able to respond to issues created by historical human intervention, as well as adapt to a changing environment and future climate. In strong partnership with the city council, Griffith’s research led to the construction of the world’s first application of sand-filled geotextile containers in 2018 to create an artificial reef for coastal protection.

Through data-driven and evidence-based solutions, Griffith and the City of Gold Coast collaboration continues to define holistic approaches to safeguarding and maintaining the health of our region’s beaches.

The University’s commercialisation and technology transfer office, Griffith Enterprise, are involved in the ongoing contractual agreement with the City of Gold Coast.