Waterfront: Hybrid Coastal Defence

Join us on this coastal ‘wading tour’ and explore the newly installed mangrove project at Altona Coastal Park.

Reef Design Lab and University of Melbourne investigate coastal defence by mass planting Victoria’s native southern mangrove species inside a specially designed planter. Exploring the use of natural habitats to reduce wave height and accumulate sand, custom designed mangrove planters have been integrated with direct planting of mangrove seeds. The planters have been designed to reduce wave energy to help the small mangroves grow. As the mangroves get bigger, they can reduce wave height and accumulate sediment themselves, protecting the foreshore from erosion. Project partners include Hobsons Bay Council, Port Phillip and Western Port CMA, Melbourne Water, Science into Action, Western Port Seagrass Partnership and the Department for Environment, Land, Water and Planning.

Presented by Open House Melbourne, National Centre for Coasts and Climate, Reef Design Lab and Liveability Victoria International (Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning) for Waterfront – part of Melbourne Design Week 2020, an initiative of the Victorian Government in collaboration with the NGV. 

Photo: courtesy Reef Design Lab