Construction started on the Sutherland Street seawall in Port Hedland

Construction has started on the Sutherland Street seawall in Port Hedland, a $6.5 million investment to protect the coastline from erosion and inundation into the future. 

Stage two works will run from May to late 2022 and will include excavation, and the placement of geofabric, filter rock and armour rock.  

In March 2020, Council endorsed the design and construction of seawalls at the West End, Sutherland Street and Goode Street. These locations were identified as susceptible to coastal erosion and inundation in the Town's Coastal Hazard Risk Management and Adaptation Plan (CHRMAP).  

CHRMAP found the risk of erosion likely to increase to a point that is intolerable in the three locations, with seawall construction mitigating this risk. The three seawalls represent a $17.8 million investment in protecting Port Hedland's coastline.   

The Sutherland Street seawall will protect residential properties, strengthen the integrity of beaches and pathway access and protect unique flora and fauna, including flatback turtles.  

Mayor Peter Carter says the seawall is the next step in the Town's delivery of the CHRMAP's objectives, critical for Hedland's future:

"The Sutherland Street seawall will help protect properties along the coastline, secure sand dunes, maintain pathway access, mitigate the impacts of climate change and protect our flatback turtle friends and their nesting areas on the beach."  

"Sutherland Street seawall construction follows the West End seawall construction which was completed in March 2022, testament to the hard work of Town staff and contractors WA Limestone, which now protects valuable coastal assets such as the world's largest bulk exporting port, Marapikurrinya Park and key pathways." 

"We're projecting construction to last until later in the year, with appropriate steps taken to minimise impacts to residents and pedestrians in the area."