Massive changes coming for Schoolies after Cyclone Alfred tears up Gold Coast beaches

Some of Queensland’s most iconic beaches are still in need of urgent assistance in the wake of devastating Tropical Cyclone Alfred, leaving many wondering what will happen to the fast-approaching Schoolboys and their famous beach parties.

It’s been seven months since Tropical Cyclone Alfred devastated the state and washed nearly four million cubic yards of sand from the coastline.

The long-running and destructive cyclone hit the east coast of Australia between 21 February and 9 March, tore south-east Queensland hardest; It especially affected the northern coasts.

While this isn’t the first time a hurricane has ripped through the state’s coastline, this year’s events were particularly harsh.

As the landscape has been devastated by harsh weather, many iconic beaches are vulnerable to further damage, spelling trouble for this year’s Schools graduates.

Last year, nearly 20,000 students flocked to the Gold Coast for Schools, making the tourist hotspot Surfers Paradise one of the most popular destinations for graduating students to celebrate the end of high school.

Although much of the seawall and coastline has been repaired since the devastating hurricane, there are concerns that large numbers of participants could cause further damage.

Beach parties are a popular choice for many students and are often organized by Schoolies Hub, which offers trips, festivals and activities in Surfers Paradise.

A spokesperson for the City of Gold Coast told NewsWire that “significant progress” had been made in restoring beaches following the “unprecedented erosion” caused by the cyclone, with more than 1.1 million cubic meters of sand returning to the northern beaches.

Since the hurricane, 32km of depression has been leveled and made safe, and 3,400 tonnes of debris have been removed, allowing the municipality to reopen 80 per cent of the beaches within five days.

Dr Vieira da Silva told NewsWire the council was “quick to bring in a dredger to speed up the beach recovery process” by bringing sand from offshore deposits back to shore and “effectively adding new sand to the system”.

Despite this effort, the “energetic” and “higher than expected” wave heights experienced in April, May and August slowed down the restoration process.

“These conditions increased erosion in some areas and slowed the overall recovery of the beach,” he said.

To ensure the sand remains in place, the Ministry of Public Housing and Works decided to keep all Schoolies event infrastructure sand-free.

“The department is working closely with the City of Gold Coast on the best location for the Schools Centre, a dedicated drug and alcohol-free area for school leavers,” a department spokesperson told NewsWire.

“Following the advice of the council’s coastal experts, event infrastructure will be located out of the sand.”

They said attendees will have access to the beach “just like every year.”

“The safety of young people and the local community remains the highest priority,” the spokesman said.

This is a move welcomed by the City of Gold Coast.

“The city supports the proposed Schools approach for the Surfers Paradise Beach Centre,” a council spokesman said.

“We will continue to work closely with (the Ministry of Housing and Public Works).”

“What has been achieved in the seven months since TC Alfred is incredibly little,” Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate said.

“We have seen more than a million cubic meters of sand returned to our northern beaches through dredging and another 50,000 cubic meters through the sand return system,” he said.

“Thanks to the interventions of our coastal engineers using everything in our arsenal, the beach width has increased by up to 70 meters in some sections.”

Dr Vieira da Silva said the recovery process would likely be aided by “calmer conditions” this spring, which “will help move the sand back towards the coast”.

“We have already observed that offshore bars have moved more than 120 meters into shore and sand has now reached the shoreline,” he told NewsWire.

“The dry beach remains a little low-lying, but is expected to accumulate by spring with the help of ongoing nourishment efforts. Once the dry beach is re-established, the wind will carry the sand back into the dunes.”

Recovery will also depend on “future wave conditions,” requiring “continuous monitoring and research into how the beach will respond.”

Despite the fragile environment, Mr Tate said the thorough cleaning was a “miracle” as the city approaches its busiest season.

“What people don’t realize is that between March and August of this year we experienced the highest wave energy ever recorded in any six-month period,” he said.

“Despite this, every beach is open, accessible and patrolled.

“I can honestly say our beaches are our Christmas miracle as we head into our busiest season.”