Members of the community are invited to have their say on the Tweed Sand Bypassing Project ahead of the 2024 expiry of a project agreement between NSW and Queensland.

Member for Tweed Geoff Provest said community consultations are being held to get feedback to help shape plans for the project’s future operation.

“Tweed Sand Bypassing has been part of the Tweed and Southern Gold Coast community for nearly twenty years,” Mr Provest said.

“It was created for the community to ensure safe boating access to the Tweed River and to restore and maintain the natural supply of sand to the southern Gold Coast beaches for all to enjoy.

“In September 2024 the agreement between the NSW and Queensland governments and the bypass project operator McConnell Dowell is due to expire.

“The Tweed Sand Bypassing Project team is calling on the community and stakeholders to have their say on the project to help develop plans for its future.

“An online survey is now open until 14 February 2020 and community interviews will be organised at beach and boat ramp locations so I encourage residents to get involved.”

Tweed Sand Bypassing Project acting manager Matthew Harry said the consultations are part of a ‘TSB Transition Project’ now underway to develop a future operating model.

“We have established a transition project to investigate different aspects of Tweed Sand Bypassing. This will include the environment, operations, governance, social impact, infrastructure, finance, and community reaction.

“We want the community and stakeholders to tell us what they think has gone well with Tweed Sand Bypassing, what hasn’t gone so well, and what their thoughts and feelings are about the future of the project and the coastal lifestyle that it supports.

“We still have a few years before the current agreement expires but with many parts to consider it’s important that we get started early,” Mr Harry said.

Tweed Sand Bypassing is a joint initiative between the NSW and Queensland governments with financial support from the City of Gold Coast.

It restores the natural coastal sand drift to southern Gold Coast beaches which is affected by the Tweed River training walls, to maintain a safe, navigable entrance to the Tweed River.

For more information about the project, where community interviews will be held, or to complete the online survey, visit www.tweedsandbypass.nsw.gov.au/community/transition-survey