The Gold Coast Seaway or Southport Seaway is the main navigation entrance from the Pacific Ocean into the Gold Coast Broadwater and southern Moreton Bay and is one of Australia's most significant coastal engineering projects. It is located at the northern end of the Southport Spit where the Nerang River enters the Pacific Ocean. The channel was constructed between 1984 and 1986, primarily to facilitate the safe passage of sea-faring vessels. The passage was previously known as the Southport Bar. The mouth of the Nerang River was once located further south in Broadbeach. The main driving force for this movement is the northward drift of sand along the coast.
Before the bypass system was implemented the mouth of the Nerang River moved northwards at a rate of 60 metres per year.[1] This northward drift was responsible for the unstable and shifting conditions of the bar, which made crossing it hazardous for small boats.[1] The southern training wall of the Gold Coast Seaway is the northern end of the Gold Coast Oceanway.
The seaway is issued regular weather forecasts by the Bureau of Meteorology.[2]
- ^ a b "History of the Gold Coast Seaway". Gold Coast Waterways Authority. 22 April 2017. Retrieved 26 October 2021.
- ^ "Gold Coast Seaway Forecast". Government of Queensland. Retrieved 26 October 2021.