Port Hedland seawall project enters stage three of works, expected to finish in March 2023

Stage two works on a $6.2 million seawall aimed at protecting properties along Port Hedland’s Sutherland Street have been completed, with the project now moving into its final stage of construction. Construction of the multi-million dollar seawall started in May with the installation of around 38,790 tonnes of armour rock and 17,400 tonnes of filter rock. The completion of stage two works means the coastline is now protected from Marapikurrinya Park in the West end down to Sutherland Street. Stage three will see the wall installed along Goode Street and is expected to be completed by the end of March 2023. Mayor Peter Carter said the Sutherland Street seawall would help maintain and protect the Hedland coastline. “The seawall will help protect residences, roads, footpaths and other infrastructure along Sutherland Street during events such as cyclones,” Mr Carter said. “It’s also going to play an important environmental role in helping to prevent erosion and future-proof our beaches which are a critical nesting habitat for the endangered flatback turtles. “The devastating impact of Cyclone Veronica in 2019 showed we needed to plan for the future — particularly in light of climate change — to mitigate against erosion and inundation risks.” No footpaths will be closed during construction, however beach access will be temporarily closed due to the location of the rock tipping point.