The sand on Adelaide’s beaches naturally moves from south to north, due to wind and waves. This causes coastal erosion at West Beach and a build-up of sand at the northern beaches, from Semaphore to North Haven.
As announced in January 2026, the South Australian Government has developed plans for a new long-term replenishment program to manage erosion hot spots and sand build-up along the Adelaide coast from West Beach to North Haven.
The state government announced that it would both restore metropolitan beaches and implement a recycling program within the Northern Management Area via the method of dredging.
In addition, the state government will establish an annual replenishment program with an estimated 90,000 cubic metres of sand collected each year from the northern coastline, primarily from places where sand builds up like Semaphore and Largs Bay.
Sand will be collected by dredge before being barged to West Beach and Henley Beach South and deposited into the water near the shore. Wave action will then bring the sand onshore to build up the beach.
West Beach placement area (used in the 2024 trial).
The Department for Environment and Water (DEW) has lodged an application with the EPA for phase two of the dredge trial proposed to occur in 2026.
The EPA regulates activities impacting on the environment set out in the Environment Protection Act 1993 (EP Act), through a range of authorisations. Dredging is a prescribed activity of environmental significance under the EP Act and the dredging aspects of the project are subject to regulatory approval, including EPA approval of the project’s management and monitoring plans.
The sand on Adelaide’s beaches naturally moves from south to north, due to wind and waves. This causes coastal erosion at West Beach and a build-up of sand at the northern beaches, from Semaphore to North Haven.
As announced in January 2026, the South Australian Government has developed plans for a new long-term replenishment program to manage erosion hot spots and sand build-up along the Adelaide coast from West Beach to North Haven.
The state government announced that it would both restore metropolitan beaches and implement a recycling program within the Northern Management Area via the method of dredging.
In addition, the state government will establish an annual replenishment program with an estimated 90,000 cubic metres of sand collected each year from the northern coastline, primarily from places where sand builds up like Semaphore and Largs Bay.
Sand will be collected by dredge before being barged to West Beach and Henley Beach South and deposited into the water near the shore. Wave action will then bring the sand onshore to build up the beach.
West Beach placement area (used in the 2024 trial).
The Department for Environment and Water (DEW) has lodged an application with the EPA for phase two of the dredge trial proposed to occur in 2026.
The EPA regulates activities impacting on the environment set out in the Environment Protection Act 1993 (EP Act), through a range of authorisations. Dredging is a prescribed activity of environmental significance under the EP Act and the dredging aspects of the project are subject to regulatory approval, including EPA approval of the project’s management and monitoring plans.
As South Australia’s independent environmental regulator, the EPA focuses on ensuring mitigation measures and controls are in place to prevent and/or minimise environmental harm. If approved, the EPA will regulate the trial through an authorisation in the form of a licence.
Licences for dredging activities require a Dredge Management Plan (DMP) which must detail proposed measures to minimise adverse impacts from the dredging. An authorisation for this dredging trial would also require a Water Quality Monitoring Plan (WQMP), a Seagrass Monitoring Plan (SMP), a Noise Monitoring Plan (NMP) and a Community and Stakeholder Engagement Plan. Please note that all plans are in draft form and are being assessed by the EPA.
The EPA will assess the DMP against the EPA Dredge Guideline 2020, which provides guidance about the EPA's expectation.
As South Australia’s independent environmental regulator, the EPA focuses on ensuring mitigation measures and controls are in place to prevent and/or minimise environmental harm. If approved, the EPA will regulate the trial through an authorisation in the form of a licence.
Licences for dredging activities require a Dredge Management Plan (DMP) which must detail proposed measures to minimise adverse impacts from the dredging. An authorisation for this dredging trial would also require a Water Quality Monitoring Plan (WQMP), a Seagrass Monitoring Plan (SMP), a Noise Monitoring Plan (NMP) and a Community and Stakeholder Engagement Plan. Please note that all plans are in draft form and are being assessed by the EPA.
The EPA will assess the DMP against the EPA Dredge Guideline 2020, which provides guidance about the EPA's expectation.
Page last updated: 10 Jul 2026, 09:09 AM
Licence Application
You can view and comment on the licence application on the EPA website:
