A $2.065 million upgrade of the car park, beach entrance and 4WD access track at Goolwa’s popular surf beach is now complete. 

The Goolwa Beach Car Park and Environs project was made possible with funding support from the state government through a $995,000 grant from the Open Space and Places for People program. 

Alexandrina Council Mayor Keith Parkes says the project has made the main entrance to Goolwa Beach safer and more accessible for pedestrians, cyclists and motorists. 

“Goolwa Beach is much loved and well used by the community and as a regional destination it attracts a significant number of visitors,” he says. 

“The upgrades delivered in this project have come about after extensive community and stakeholder consultation and the endorsement of the Goolwa Beach Car Park and Environs Master Plan back in 2017.

“There’s an accessible pedestrian ramp to the beach, defined pedestrian pathways, showers for beachgoers, some lovely shelter areas, improved access for 4WDs with a slip lane for waiting vehicles and definitely more parking with 194 formalised parking spaces. 

“Ngarrindjeri artist Cedric Varcoe was commissioned to create some special public art for the area, a sculptural work depicting a Ngarrindjeri family. 

“Council has also worked closely with the Ngarrindjeri community, bringing in cultural monitors.” 

Work on the beach environs began in 2022 after the new Goolwa Surf Life Saving (SLSC) Club was built and opened to the public in late 2019. 

The ‘Goolwa Beach Car Park and Environs’ project includes: 

• Expansion of the car park to the north with an additional 40 spaces.
• Inclusion of an overflow section to the far north of the car park. 
• Angle parking along Beach Road providing an extra 28 parking spaces.
• Three electric vehicle charging stations. 
• A new 4WD beach access slip lane and signage. 
• Improved access to the beach for emergency vehicles. 
• An accessible beach ramp built to Australian standards.
• Public art recognising the importance of the area to the Ngarrindjeri traditional owners. 
• A new promenade area with shelters, seating, picnic settings, and an accessible elevated deck. 
• Showers, feet washing facilities, water bottle filler and dog drinking bowl. 
• Bicycle racks, lockers and wireless phone charging facilities. 
• Horse tethering posts and drinking trough. 
• New landscaping with more than 1,500 native species seedlings. 
• Water sensitive garden beds designed to slow and reduce the volume of stormwater run-off, capture pollutants and minimise the risk of flooding at the end of a stormwater system. 
• A new shared path connecting the car park to the Encounter Bikeway.

For further information on the project, visit the Alexandrina Council website.

Stunning sculptural public art unveiled to mark the completion of the Goolwa Beach project depicting a Ngarrindjeri family by local Ngarrindjeri artist, Cedric Varcoe. 

Travis Hester, Project Officer, Lee Graham, Manager Projects & Design, Mayor Keith Parkes, Andy Baker, GM Infrastructure and CEO Nigel Morris pictured at the Goolwa Beach project.