Posted on August 21, 2017
By Chris Calcino, Herald Sun
A DREDGING advisory committee will be formed to help Cairns Regional Council oversee the dumping of spoil at Trinity Beach.
Maintenance dredging at Bluewater Marina and Half Moon Creek has been happening for nine years with State Government approval for two offshore spoil disposal sites.
The area now falls under the Federal Government’s control, meaning a new permit must be obtained. A requirement for securing that permission is to set up a technical advisory and consultative committee.
The council’s infrastructure services committee this week heard of the plan to extend the dredging spoil dump zone further north, about 200m off the shore to avoid excavated silt from returning to the creek and beach.
“Where we were depositing further to the south, at the original spoil ground, a lot of the material was finding itself being washed straight back into the beach and into the creek mouth,” infrastructure services manager Bruce Gardiner told the meeting.
“We think there’s going to be more success with the northern disposal area.”
The committee will comprise councillors, council officers and members from Bluewater Marina, Yorkeys Knob Boat Club, Maritime Safety Queensland, James Cook University, Ports North, the Department of Environment and Heritage Protection.
A representative of local residents will also be included.
“I think this is a great idea, because you’re involving community now,” Division 8 Cr Jessie Richardson said.
“I think that’s really good to take a lot of that angst out of what we do down there.”
Mayor Bob Manning said the group would give members of the public a realistic idea of what the dredging work entailed, noting that “no matter what the issue, we immediately tend to think the worst”.
“That will help the people out there understand exactly what’s going on, so it can be explained directly to them,” Cr Manning said. “Having that direct line of communication like this should be effective.”
Source: Herald Sun
