Lennox Head Shark Barrier Nearing Completion

The Aquarius Barrier at Lennox Head has come closer to  completion as work now begins on installing the barrier itself. On Tuesday morning the outer wall (170m long) was pulled out into the ocean and secured to the ground chain by the dive team. The process took most of the day while the divers had to contend with murky water conditions due to disrupted sediment. If weather conditions allow, the Lennox Head shark barrier could be in place as early as this weekend. 

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Most of the installation construction work involved installing the mooring system that holds the shark barrier to the seabed, which has now been fully completed. The team have successfully installed all 21 x 2.4t concrete blocks, 86 x 50kg stingray anchors and 650m of ground chain. 

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Helicopter For Lennox Head Shark Barrier

Consistently large swells and strong winds have made the installation of the Aquarius Barrier at Lennox Head extremely difficult. To get the project back on schedule, we came up with an innovative and very effective method of installing the concrete blocks: using a helicopter. 

For the 650m Lennox Head Aquarius Barrier there are 21 concrete blocks to install, each weighing 2.4t. Floating the blocks in the large swell and shallow water proved too difficult, so other options were explored to improve the process. It was decided that using a helicopter to lift the blocks would significantly speed up the installation process. The pilot found the correct GPS location and released each block into the exact position. 

The helicopter managed to complete the installation of the blocks in under 3 hours, compared to at least 3 days in good weather for installing with the commercial work vessel.

There was a very positive feeling in the local Lennox Head community who were pleased with the progress made. Many locals gathered at the beach to watch the excitement of the helicopter at work.

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Installation Begins On Shark Barrier for Lennox Head

Work has begun on the Aquarius Barrier for Lennox Head after 6 months of diligent planning and preparation. The Aquarius Barrier was selected for trial by the New South Wales Department of Primary Industries in December 2015. Eco-friendly shark barriers have been successfully installed in Western Australia but up until now the technology has not been trialled in large swell surf beaches. The Aquarius Barrier has advanced the technology to a stage where it is suitable for these conditions. 

See the story featured on NBN News: 'Shark Barrier Installation Begins'

The Aquarius Barrier at Lennox Head will be the first eco-friendly barrier in the world to be installed at an exposed surf beach. We are very confident and will monitor the progress closely over the coming weeks and months. Although it is a trial, it is by no means a 'hope for the best' scenario: the entire project and the barrier design is based on extensive knowledge and experience in structural engineering and materials. We have gone to great lengths in research and development to ensure that the barrier is qualified to perform in its environment. 

We will continue to post updates throughout the installation process and over the course of the trial to inform the public of its performance. 

Previously reported on NBN News: 'Shark Barriers Only Days Away'

Monthly Update: Aquarius Barrier Middleton Beach

The Aquarius Barrier had its third monthly service on the 8th July 2016. The barrier has performed exceptionally well in the winter season conditions. The barrier service included checking all struts, clips and barrier components across the entire length of the barrier.

During this service the red floats that identify the two craft access points were upgraded from painted red floats to permanent red material floats. We are also trialling a brand new material for the floats with an exciting feature - this will be announced shortly. 

The growth on the barrier continues to be monitored. Cleaning was originally scheduled for every three months but the dive team has noticed that the barrier growth is predominantly algal which is very lightweight and does not affect the performance of the barrier. It was noted that cleaning is not required in this time-frame, and may not be required at all.  

The Calm after the Storm - Aquarius Barrier at Middleton Beach

The second monthly service of the Aquarius Barrier was conducted before the long weekend and showed no damage or issues with the Aquarius Barrier, after two weeks of extreme winter weather on the South Coast. 

After further consultation with the community, the council, and the Albany Surf Life Saving Club, it was decided that we should introduce another SLSC access point and move the existing access point. There are now two access points marked with red floats, one at the back over near the rocks and the other in the surf zone near the beach.