Council completes design & commits funding for Emu Park revetment wall

Published on 25 August 2026

Livingstone Shire Council has completed the detailed design for the Emu Park Surf Life Saving Club revetment wall and has allocated funding in its forward works program to commence construction between 2028 and 2030.

The completion of the detailed design marks a significant milestone in Council’s plans to address ongoing coastal erosion at Emu Park Main Beach and protect the Surf Life Saving Club, critical community infrastructure and safe access to the beach.

Council first commenced survey and geotechnical investigations following significant deterioration of the existing revetment wall, which was further impacted by Tropical Cyclone Alfred. A preferred design was subsequently developed and approved by the State Assessment and Referral Agency in March 2026, with the detailed design now complete.

Mayor Adam Belot said Council had listened to the concerns of the Emu Park community and understood why the Surf Life Saving Club and other local stakeholders wanted the project delivered sooner.

“Council recognises the concerns being raised by the Emu Park Surf Life Saving Club and the broader community. They see the condition of the wall every day and understand the importance of this project to the future safety and operation of the club,” Mayor Belot said.

“We acknowledge their view that this project needs greater urgency, and Council agrees that we should be doing everything we can to bring construction forward.

“Importantly, Council has recognised just how critical this project has become. Under our Coastal Hazard Adaptation Strategy, the revetment wall was originally identified as a medium to long-term action, which could have meant a project of this scale was not prioritised for delivery until closer to 2045 or 2050.

“Given the deterioration we are now seeing and the importance of this site to the community, Council has made the decision to bring this project forward and invest in the detailed design and forward funding required to make it shovel-ready.

“Council has now completed the detailed design and allocated funding within our forward works program. This means we have done the critical planning and design work required to make the project shovel-ready.

“The next step is to use that work to advocate strongly to the Queensland and Australian Governments for additional funding that could allow construction to commence sooner.”

Emu Park Surf Life Saving Club President Brad James said the Club appreciated Council’s efforts to respond to the condition of the revetment wall and was keen to see the project progress as soon as possible.

“We appreciate Council has listened to our concerns, completed the detailed design and continued the remedial works and maintenance needed to keep the site safe and functioning,” Mr James said.

“We are very keen to see the permanent works progress as soon as possible, given the importance of this site to our lifesavers, members and the broader community.”

State Member for Keppel Nigel Hutton MP said coastal protection was a shared responsibility and projects of this nature required all levels of government to work together.

“Livingstone Shire is a disaster-prone coastal community, and we know that building resilience before the next major event is far better than simply repairing the same infrastructure after every disaster,” Mr Hutton said.

“Council and the Crisafulli Government have been making this case consistently through advocacy for a fair disaster recovery and resilience funding model.

“Building back better reduces future damage, strengthens resilience and saves taxpayers money over the long term. The same principle applies here, investing in resilient coastal infrastructure now can help protect our community and critical assets from future damage.”

Council will continue to work with the Emu Park Surf Life Saving Club and pursue State and Australian Government funding opportunities to bring forward construction of the revetment wall.

The detailed design plans can be viewed at Emu Park Surf Life Saving Club Revetment Wall project | Get Involved Livingstone Shire