Environmentally Friendly Seawalls

This guide aims to:

• illustrate the environmental consequences of building traditional seawalls
• explain how seawalls differ from natural estuarine foreshores
• provide a range of options to improve the environmental value of seawalls and seawall-lined foreshores for those involved in designing, approving, building or upgrading seawalls in estuaries.

Some techniques will not be suitable for all situations. It is important to seek help from qualified professionals to determine the most appropriate options.

Beyond the environmental aspects, many other structural and design issues need to be considered when seawalls are upgraded or built. It is not the intent of this guideline to cover these. Always seek appropriate advice from qualified professionals.

Note: This guide was first published in June 2009 and was reprinted in 2012 with updated contact details. The version published here is the updated version.