Why weren’t more permanent solutions like rock placement part of the Emergency Works solution?

In response the Breakthroughs, the Queensland Government commissioned an independent expert review to investigate the ongoing erosion and breakthrough events and their impacts on Bribie Island.

On 12 June 2025, RPS and ICM issued the Review’s Part 2 report to the State, which outlined the issues and recommended immediate options in response to the Breakthroughs. The Part 2 Report recommended four immediate actions:

1. closure of Breakthroughs 2 and 3
2. buffering of the remaining island segment between Breakthroughs 1 and 2
3. further buffering of the island or construction of an inner sandbank inside Breakthrough 1
4. dredging of a temporary channel, linking Breakthrough 1 to the northern passage.

The Report considered these urgent recommendations qualified as ‘emergency works’ given the situation.

In response to the findings and recommendations of the Review, on 26 June 2025, the Queensland Government announced funding for the rapid deployment of immediate and urgent works to remediate erosion impacts caused by the Breakthroughs and undertaking resilience works to reinstate features to mitigate against further degradation.