Blacksmiths Beach

".... to dredge and maintain a channel, from Pelican to Marks Point, that is 3.5 metres below Australian Height Datum (AHD) and 60 metres wide, allowing vessels drawing a maximum of 2.5 metres draft to transit the channel safely and reliably. This will require ongoing removal of between 50,000 and 60,000 cubic metres of sand per annum following initial dredging of approximately 80,000 cubic metres." - Castlecrest Consultants (May 2023)

"Since 1970 (to Dec 2021) Swansea Channel has been dredged 20 times. Approximately 802,000 cubic metres of sand has been dredged from the area." - Transport for NSW Community Update Dec 2021 (This would represent a fraction of the total volume of sand entering the channel and not arriving on Blacksmiths beach - BBB Group)

".... there should be no problem in placing the Swansea Channel sand at Blacksmiths (beach) wherever you want it. There is plenty of sand, it is relatively easy to do and just requires the political and engineering will to complete it. And it improves channel navigation." - Professor Ron Boyd

"Placement of the dredged material further south (closer to Swansea Belmont SLSC) would provide the most environmental benefit from improvement of beach amenity and a high level of community acceptability. However, this option requires additional booster stations (i.e. in addition to the STS to be established at the old Belmont Sands site) to achieve the longer pumping distance from the dredging location, incurring higher capital and ongoing maintenance costs. " - Transport for NSW Dredging Project November 2025 - REF

View Bring Blacksmiths Back Beach erosion document

View Blacksmiths Beach Maneela Street lookout timeline document

View Blacksmiths Beach surfing history document

View Blacksmiths Beach surf Amenity Assessment 2020 document

View LMCC Dredging and Pipeline project report - 24SP056

View LMCC Blacksmiths Beach Dune Management 2025 Plan

View Bitou Bush is a Weed of National Significance document

View Landcare Blacksmiths Beach Case Study

View Blacksmiths Beach Dunecare group website

View the Swellnet article on swell period, energy and sand movement

View MIDO Swansea Channel Dredging website

View Yasmin Catley's 2019 speech about Blacksmiths Beach

Transport for NSW Community Update Dec 2021 (1.3 MB PDF) 

Transport for NSW Dredging Project November 2025 - REF (71,5 MB PDF)

Transport for NSW Dredging Project December 2025 Community update (2 MB PDF)