The City of Cape Town will in March 2023 commence with dune rehabilitation projects in Fish Hoek, Glencairn and Gordon’s Bay. The intention is to restore the dunes so that they can once again serve as natural buffers against storm surges and the longer term projected impacts of sea-level rise. The work will continue until June 2024, pending any unforeseen delays.

Dune rehabilitation is the most cost-effective and pragmatic approach to protect and rehabilitate ecosystems and ecological infrastructure. When fully functional, these systems – in this case the dunes – help to create quality coastal spaces for all of us.

The dune cordons in Fish Hoek, Glencairn and Gordon's Bay have deteriorated and lost much of its ability to protect the surrounding infrastructure such as the parking facilities, roads, and beach access from windblown sand.

'We will move the sand with heavy machinery such as dozers, excavators and dump trucks to re-profile the dunes. Once profiled, we will fence off the areas. Then, teams will install wind nets, and populate the dunes with suitable plants and irrigation. It will take a while for the vegetation to be established. But once done, the vegetated dunes will help to trap the sand on the beachfronts, and prevent it from blowing onto roads and adjacent buildings on windy days,' said the City's Deputy Mayor and Mayoral Committee Member for Spatial Planning and Environment, Alderman Eddie Andrews.

The work will take place from the first week of March 2023 until June 2024, if all goes as planned, Monday to Friday from 07:00 to 17:00, weather permitting.

Interesting facts about the projects:

Fish Hoek

• the dune stretching from the Fish Hoek lighthouse to Clovelly corner – a stretch of 950m – will be re-profiled

• the dune area covers about 4,5 hectares and will be vegetated with 82 668 plants

• 40 000m³ sand will be moved of which 9 571m³ will be returned to the ocean

• 6,5km of wind netting will be installed as part of the profiling or re-shaping of the dune

• About 22 708 plants will be searched on site and rescued for re-use

Glencairn

• the small dune on the beach, opposite the recently upgraded parking area will be re-profiled

• 3 400 m³ sand will be moved of which 800 m³ will be returned to the ocean

• an area of 4 500 m² will be vegetated with 20 900 plants

• 1 000 plants will be searched on site and rescued for re-use

• 250 bales of straw will be used to stabilise the newly profiled dune

Gordon's Bay

• the dune between Harbour Island and Gordon's Bay Main Beach will be re-profiled (reshaped)

• the area covers approximately 5,5 hectares

• 70 000m³ sand will be moved of which 61 000m³ sand will be returned to the ocean

• the dune will be vegetated with 114 363 plants and 9km of netting will be installed as part of the profiling

• 56 689 plants will be searched on site and rescued for re-use

Importantly: residents and visitors will still have access to the beaches while the dunes are rehabilitated, only the sections where work is taking place will be temporarily cordoned off.

'The City's project team hosted a number of meetings with directly affected residents in these areas, ratepayers' associations, and sport clubs, and the relevant subcouncils were briefed. There may be some noise while the machinery is working, but the parking areas will be fully accessible to the public. I want to request beachgoers to please avoid the work areas, to keep dogs on a lead, and to stay clear of the dunes to allow the plants time to get established,' said Alderman Andrews.

The City successfully implemented a similar dune rehabilitation project in Hout Bay over the past five years, and more recently along 3km of coastline at the Table View Beachfront. These projects demonstrate how dunes, once rehabilitated and stabilised, can manage wind-blown sand and reduce the maintenance burden of adjacent infrastructure.

Source: City Of Cape Town