Work will soon begin to clear Narrabeen Lagoon entrance to reduce the risk of flooding to local homes and businesses.

Council contractors will excavate more than 20,000 cubic metres (40,000 tonnes) of sand – equivalent to the weight of 100 jumbo jets – to the east and west of Ocean Street Bridge.

The sand will be deposited at Collaroy-Narrabeen Beach between Goodwin and Stuart Streets.

Works are expected to start in the coming weeks and will be complete by the summer school holidays. To get the job done before the busy summer months, up to 200 truckloads of sand will be carted each day.

To ensure public safety, Birdwood Dune car park will be closed during this time and there will be parking and pedestrian access restrictions during work hours at Mactier and Wetherill Streets.

Northern Beaches Mayor Sue Heins said the works are part of Council’s Narrabeen Lagoon Entrance Management Strategy and based on flood risk management studies.

“Narrabeen Lagoon is one of our greatest natural waterways but as locals know all too well, it is prone to flooding,” Mayor Heins said.

“Council has a strategy to manage the lagoon entrance to minimise the risk of flooding, backed by research and analysis by coastal experts. 

“It includes more frequent sand clearance operations, as well as reshaping and revegetating sand dunes to assist with sand stabilisation.

“We appreciate that these works may be an inconvenience in the short term, but they are necessary to protect our community from flooding in the medium to long term.”

The project is partly grant funded under the NSW Government Floodplain Management Program.

For more information about Council’s lagoon management strategy visit this link.