Living Seawalls

Living seawalls at Burns Bay Reserve

Living Seawalls in Lane Cove

Lane Cove Council is enhancing the health of our harbour through the installation of Living Seawalls - innovative structures designed to support marine life and restore biodiversity along our foreshore.

Living Seawalls are made up of artificial modular panels with textured, complex surfaces that mimic natural shoreline habitats. Unlike traditional flat seawalls, these panels provide shelter, surfaces, and microhabitats where marine species can attach, grow, and thrive.

Burns Bay Reserve

The Living Seawall at Burns Bay Reserve features 85 habitat panels and 10 control panels, carefully selected to maximise ecological outcomes.

The habitat panels include a diverse mix of designs such as:

  • Swim Through panels
  • Ridges panels
  • Rock Pool panels
  • Kelp Holdfast panels
  • Oyster Holdfast panels

This variety increases the chances of supporting a wide range of marine species. The control panels - flat, untextured surfaces - allow researchers to compare what would naturally occur without intervention.

Research led by the University of NSW has shown that Living Seawalls can have a significant environmental impact:

  • Marine species diversity has doubled compared to standard seawalls
  • In Sydney Harbour, installations have led to a 36% increase in fish, seaweeds, and invertebrates

Council will continue to monitor and share updates on the seawall’s progress over time.

Greenwich Point Wharf

Building on the success of Burns Bay, Council has recently completed a second Living Seawall installation at Greenwich Point Wharf, also funded through the Sustainability Levy.

This project stands out as a powerful example of community-led environmental action. It was inspired and championed by a local primary school student, who gathered over 700 signatures in support of the installation - helping turn an idea into reality.

The seawall incorporates habitat panels developed by the Sydney Institute of Marine Science, designed to replicate natural coastal features and encourage marine life to flourish.

In a unique contribution, the student helped inform the design layout of the panels. An interpretive sign will also be installed on-site to educate the community about the benefits of Living Seawalls and the importance of protecting marine ecosystems.

Supporting a Healthier Harbour

These projects demonstrate Council’s commitment to sustainability and innovation, as well as the power of community in shaping environmental outcomes.

Both Living Seawall installations were funded through Council’s Sustainability Levy, in partnership with the NSW Government.

Together, they represent an important step toward a more resilient, biodiverse, and healthy harbour for future generations.

 

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