Minda Coast Park

Minda Coast Park completes the coastal path from Glenelg to Brighton, through the unspoilt Minda Dunes. Located on the property of disability provider Minda Incorporated (itself subject to a major redevelopment with Jensen PLUS), Minda Coast Park was a major planning, governance, engagement and design challenge.

Jensen PLUS led a multi-disciplinary team including Oxigen (landscape architecture) and Tonkin (civil and structural engineering) to prepare concept designs and undertake engagement in 2015, and then detailed design and documentation in 2017-18. The project is fully funded by the South Australian Government and the City of Holdfast Bay. Construction was completed in 2019 with an open day held in late October.

Notable elements include a large public plaza in front of the Somerton Park Surf Lifesaving Club, with increased space for seating, a cafe, beach access and surf club activity. A boardwalk carries the 4m wide shared path south, behind the dunes towards an ‘Education Zone’ and beach lookout at the halfway point along the path’s 500m length. A second boardwalk brings the path over steep dunes to the street network at Gladstone Road.

The project overcame many challenges, from the governance complexities of building public infrastructure on private land, to geotechnical, coastal erosion and environmental issues. The path design is deliberately wide and gentle in grade, to accommodate the many older and disabled users expected, alongside large numbers of other walkers and cyclists. Public art opportunities exploring environmental, indigenous and local community themes add further texture and interest to Minda Coast Park, one of Adelaide’s most eagerly awaited pieces of public realm infrastructure.

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