The development of a new visitor interchange was identified as part of the Birubi Point Aboriginal Place Management Plan. Since this time, Council in partnership with key stakeholders, had worked to source funding for the construction of the Birubi Point Aboriginal Place Tourism Transport Interchange.

The design of the facility includes a centralised tour coach parking area and tourism operator interchange, short-term car parking for visitors participating in tours along with improved visitor services including toilet facilities, all-weather protection and multilingual signage and interpretation of the important cultural landscape.

Council finalised the design for the facility in 2021 and expected to commence work in late 2021. As part of these plans, Council was required to manage the removal of a large amount of sand from the site to enable the building. Since this time, rather than moving the sand off-site, Council has been working with neighbouring landowners including the Worimi Local Aboriginal Land Council to investigate options for retaining the sand onsite.

The plan for this sand is to move it and use it to build a boundary buffer (i.e. vegetated dune system) that will help to protect the interchange site and reduce maintenance issues over time. Retaining the sand onsite also maintains the cultural integrity of the site and minimises the likelihood of cultural items and occupational evidence being impacted (i.e. not having disturbed artefacts involuntarily sent offsite).

Council has utilised the services of a Royal Haskoning DHV to revise the existing Sand Management Plan and we are now working through the approval process and an amendment to the DA.

Working through this sand management process has impacted our project delivery schedule. We anticipate the completion of the facility in early 2025 (subject to contractor availability and weather).