The state government has committed $28 million to fix seaweed build-up and beach erosion at Port Geographe near Busselton, after the developers, including Luke Saraceni, Axiom Properties and Macquarie Bank, walked away from the troubled project.
Transport Minister Troy Buswell announced today that groynes at Port Geographe would be reconfigured to eliminate the trapping of seagrass across the development.
Previous estimates quoted the reconfiguration of the groynes at $40 million.
The announcement follows a three-year study investigating the seaweed build-up and erosion at the site.
“The extensive research, investigation and modelling undertaken has provided the basis for structural changes that will address health issues, improve amenity and reduce ongoing annual coastal maintenance costs,” Mr Buswell said in a statement.
“Importantly, the decision to fund the structural changes will also improve the viability of the currently-stalled development.”
The Department of Transport will call for tenders next year, with works expected to start in July.
The development has been stalled since 2009 and earlier this year the developers appointed PPB Advisory as the administrator to the development.
