{"id":41235,"date":"2026-10-22T16:03:59","date_gmt":"2026-10-22T05:03:59","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/?p=41235"},"modified":"2026-10-22T16:03:59","modified_gmt":"2026-10-22T05:03:59","slug":"major-upgrade-begins-on-swansea-heads-southern-breakwater","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/2026\/10\/22\/major-upgrade-begins-on-swansea-heads-southern-breakwater\/","title":{"rendered":"Major upgrade begins on Swansea Heads Southern Breakwater"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Work has begun on a major upgrade of the Southern Breakwater at Reids Reserve to maintain safe navigation and better protect the Swansea Heads coastline and foreshore following significant storm damage in 2022.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Transport for NSW is raising and widening the Southern Breakwater to improve its resilience to extreme weather events and sea level rise, helping safeguard this important coastal asset for the future while ensuring safe navigation is maintained.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">NSW Executive&nbsp;Maritime Director Nicole Watts said the project would strengthen a key piece of coastal infrastructure while improving its ability to withstand future weather events.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8220;The Southern Breakwater plays an important role in protecting the Swansea Heads coastline and foreshore while supporting safe navigation through the channel,&#8221; Ms Watts said.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8220;Following the significant storm damage experienced in 2022, we&#8217;re delivering a stronger and more resilient structure that will help protect this important community asset for many years to come.&#8221;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The project is being delivered in two stages, with the first stage involving the transport and stockpiling of rock at Reids Reserve ahead of major repair and upgrade works to the breakwater itself.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A contractor has been engaged to deliver the project, with Transport for NSW working closely with Lake Macquarie City Council to coordinate the breakwater upgrade with future reserve rehabilitation works.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The first stage of work commenced on Monday 19 October and is expected to continue for around seven weeks, weather permitting. Work is taking place Monday to Friday between 7am and 5pm.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Ms Watts said the project reflects Transport for NSW&#8217;s commitment to maintaining safe and resilient maritime infrastructure along the state&#8217;s coastline.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8220;By raising and widening the breakwater, we&#8217;ll improve its resilience to extreme weather and sea level rise while continuing to provide protection for the coastline and support safe boating access,&#8221; Ms Watts said.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The broader breakwater upgrade is expected to be completed by early 2027.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Pedestrian access to Swansea Heads Beach remains available, with traffic control and signage in place to guide the community safely through the area.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8220;We thank the community for its patience while this important work is carried out and will continue working to minimise impacts on residents, visitors and the environment throughout construction,&#8221; Ms Watts said.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Transport for NSW will continue working to minimise impacts on residents and the environment throughout construction, including implementing safety measures, managing traffic movements and reducing noise wherever possible.&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Work has begun on a major upgrade of the Southern Breakwater at Reids Reserve to maintain safe navigation and better protect the Swansea Heads coastline and foreshore following significant storm damage in 2022.&nbsp; Transport for NSW is raising and widening the Southern Breakwater to improve its resilience to extreme weather events and sea level rise, &hellip; <a href=\"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/2026\/10\/22\/major-upgrade-begins-on-swansea-heads-southern-breakwater\/\" class=\"more-link\">Continue reading<span class=\"screen-reader-text\"> &#8220;Major upgrade begins on Swansea Heads Southern Breakwater&#8221;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-41235","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-newcastle"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/41235","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=41235"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/41235\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":41236,"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/41235\/revisions\/41236"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=41235"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=41235"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=41235"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}