Sunshine Coast Council has completed major landslip repairs and stabilisation works along a stretch of coastline severely damaged by weather events.
The works at First Bay in Coolum restored safe public access and secured the cliff face hit hard during the weather events from February 2022.
The Council said the completed works provide long‑term protection for the foreshore and a safer experience for everyone who walks, rides or drives along this scenic coastal corridor.
The works were delivered in partnership with specialist contractors and jointly funded through the Commonwealth‑State Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements, administered by the Queensland Reconstruction Authority.
“We are so pleased to see First Bay fully reopened and safe for people to enjoy again,” said Division 9 Councillor, Maria Suarez.
“Thank you to our local community for your patience and understanding while these essential works were underway.
“We know the project extended beyond the original timeframe and appreciate the cooperation shown by residents, commuters and visitors.”
Cr Suarez said the repairs were critical to long‑term safety and resilience.
“While the extended construction period was frustrating at times, the works were essential to stabilise the cliffs and protect people, vehicles and surrounding infrastructure along David Low Way,” she said.
“The completed repairs significantly reduce future risk and help safeguard this important coastal route, while restoring the enjoyment of travelling through one of our most beautiful stretches of coastline.”
Queensland Minister for Fire, Disaster Recovery and Volunteers, Ann Leahy said projects like this highlight the importance of strong disaster recovery support for coastal communities.
“This project has restored safe access to a much-loved stretch of coastline while delivering long-term protection for the community and this important coastal corridor,” Minister Leahy said.
“Works like these show how vital disaster recovery funding is to help Queensland communities rebuild stronger and stay resilient, and we will continue to back the support needed to protect our regions into the future.”
The completed works include 145m metres of newly rebuilt pedestrian pathway along the eastern side of David Low Way, along with major stabilisation of the cliff face above First Bay.
Cast‑in‑place piles and steel‑reinforced capping beams have been installed to lock the hillside in place and protect public infrastructure, creating a more resilient slope designed to better withstand future severe weather.
Behind the scenes, this was a significant engineering effort to secure the cliff for the long term, the Council said.
Crews installed 92 deep foundation piles, some reaching up to 18 metres below ground, to anchor the slope in place. In total, the project used more than 1,100 cubic metres of concrete – enough to fill around 450 backyard swimming pools – along with over 110 tonnes of reinforcing steel to strengthen the structure.
Around 1,000 tonnes of asphalt was also laid to rebuild the road surface, and more than 12,500 plants were added to help restore the natural landscape.
Cr Suarez said the outcome reflected strong collaboration between Council, specialist contractors and funding partners.
“First Bay is a special place for locals and visitors, and we are delighted to hand it back to the community, safer and more resilient than before.”
The First Bay project is one of 15 landslip repairs completed across the Sunshine Coast with disaster recovery funding.
For more information including a time lapse video of repair works visit Council’s website.
