Posted on September 12, 2017
By Paul Weston, Gold Coast Bulletin
THE long awaited dredging of the Gold Coast’s Coomera River is on track after the awarding of a multimillion-dollar contract to a local company to build a new management facility.
In a report from April The Gold Coast Bulletin said the decade-long battle to dredge the river so it could be opened up for super yachts had been resolved after a funding commitment by the Queensland Government.
A dredged sediment management facility would, for the first time, create a depth of 3.5m for the stretch of river from Sanctuary Cove to the Gold Coast City Marina.
A recent report revealed that with the proper government policy changes, including the dredging of the Broadwater and rivers, superyachts will create almost 8000 jobs and $1.1 billion in revenue by 2021.
Acting Ports Minister Steven Miles today will announce a $3 million contract to construct the Coomera Regional Dredged Sediment Management Facility is to be awarded to Synergy Resource Management PTY LTD.
“This $3 million facility will be the first of its kind on the Gold Coast and is a significant project for the city’s multimillion-dollar marine industry which will mean certainty of access and safe navigation in the Coomera river,” Mr Miles said.
The Gold Coast Marine Precinct at Coomera was home to more than 100 businesses employing 2,500 people, he said.
“As well as being an important ongoing provider of jobs for Queenslanders, this project will help minimise potential environmental impacts by managing the fine, silty mud sediment found in the upper sections of the Coomera River that is not suitable for riverbank or beach replenishment,” Mr Miles said.
“For many years the Coomera River could not be dredged in certain parts because of a lack of a cost effective and environmentally sound solution for disposal of the sediment.
“This is a long-term, cost effective solution that will be available for use by organisations that undertake dredging in the area including GCWA, City of Gold Coast, local industry and private residential estates.”
Gold Coast Waterways Authority Chair, Mara Bun, said key stakeholders had been consulted throughout the project to ensure the best possible outcomes for the local community and environment.
The GCWA would continue to consult during the construction phase due to begin in the coming weeks, she said.
“We are expecting the facility to be completed and ready for use by the end of the year. Then we can get on with the next important step of improving navigational access through our targeted dredging program,” Ms Bun.
“All stakeholders share a common interest in ensuring safe navigational access and flood management to ensure public safety and amenity on the Gold Coast and its many waterways.”
Source: Gold Coast Bulletin
