Shark Beach reopens
NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service is pleased to announce the reopening of Shark Beach on Thursday 12 December 2024.
The team has been working hard to finish the seawall in time for the summer holidays with handrails, gritblasting, and finishing all complete.
Site fencing was removed on Thursday to allow visitors to enjoy the beach and new seawall bleachers. Contractors will be on site over the coming days to complete site compound clean up however this will not impact visitor use of the beach.
The recently renovated kiosk and dressing pavilion have also reopened to visitors.
National Parks and Wildlife Service acknowledges that the project has taken far longer than originally anticipated, with a range of significant issues impacting this complex project. We apologise for the loss of access to the site during this time and thank the community for their patience and understanding. We, along with NSW Public Works and the contractor, have worked hard to get the site open as soon as possible while still ensuring that the structure is built to the highest standards in a challenging environment.
We welcome back visitors to Nielsen Park and hope everyone enjoys the new and upgraded facilities.
Beach condition
Removal of the temporary steel sheet pile was one of the final major components of this project and was completed in November. These steel sheets had protected the park and works site since the project started.
Prior to removal of the sheet pile wall, the full height and width of the new concrete structure was exposed and visible along much of the beach. Over time natural wave action will wash sand up against the new seawall, covering one or two of the lower bleacher levels and restoring the width of the beach. The length of time required for the sand to be replenished will depend on tides and wave energy over the coming weeks.
As before, the beach levels will vary with time as natural wave action removes and replenishes the sand. The new structure is 500 mm higher than the previous seawall to protect the park from the inundation that occurred previously, and the width of the promenade path and mid-terrace have been slightly reduced. This will maximise the amount of beach space and lawn available for visitors.
