Nielsen Park seawall and bleachers: project update June 2024

Progress

Construction of the new seawall and bleachers continues to progress. The western mid-level terrace was poured in a large concrete pour at the start of June, and concrete trades are now forming up the top 3 bleacher steps and the promenade garden bed rear walls at the western end of the beach, preparing these for progressive pours in late June and July.

With the old promenade slab demolished at the western end of the site, a new stormwater line has been laid beneath this section of path to collect runoff and help drain rainfall away from the new seawall.

Construction of bleachers at the main central stairs is progressing level-by-level following pouring of the first tier of these bleachers in early June. Due to the complexity of the curved steps this section of the wall is more difficult to construct than the bleachers in the adjacent main lengths of the wall, and the contractors rate of progress has slowed in this area.

The project structural engineer continues to closely monitor the work to ensure the completed seawall complies with specification and will achieve its 100-year design life. This monitoring identified defects with reinforcement connections at 3 piles near the central stairs, requiring the contractor to demolish and reconstruct small portions of these piles before work on these stairs could progress.

At the seawall's eastern end, the contractor is preparing to pour the third bleacher tier. Work on the new dressing shed tunnel entrance is also underway, with the new entrance slab and wing walls to the tunnel poured in mid-June.

At the very eastern end of Shark Beach, bored piles and the scour protection sheet pile wall have been uncovered to enable the construction of the new vehicle and pedestrian ramps. The piles will be connected with a capping beam to support the ramp's structure.

As noted in previous newsletters, inclement weather throughout April and May affected the progress of work on site. Since then, the poor weather has continued, with rain delaying multiple concrete pours in the first 3 weeks of June. Concrete works are highly dependent on good weather, as rainfall during or after a pour can damage the integrity of the concrete as well as the quality of its finish. Unfortunately, the outdoor nature of the work makes it difficult to mitigate the impacts of poor weather.

Construction is now scheduled for completion towards the end of August 2024. NSW Public Works and the contractor continue to take steps to reduce further delays, including reviewing the sequencing of activities and adjusting the size of concrete pours to maximise progress during good weather. We will keep everyone updated as we progress.

Visitor access

Shark Beach will remain closed to visitors until the project is completed. In the interest of everyone's safety, we kindly request that all visitors refrain from entering the construction site through fencing or water. This area is not safe for visitors.

We appreciate and understand that the project delays are very frustrating, but we are committed to delivering the project to specification so that this public infrastructure meets its design life of 100 years. All parties involved are working hard to achieve overall completion as soon as possible.

More information

Please visit the project webpage for the latest information. We update the webpage regularly as new information becomes available. You can also ask questions and make comments on the project page.

If you want to receive these updates by email, just fill in the online form on the webpage.