Posted on May 31, 2018
Dredging was at the top of the list of community concerns at Kingston District Council’s forum last week.
Kingston District Council CEO Andrew MacDonald explained what the requirements will be during the dredging process and what the council plan will entail.
“There is a requirement for the dredging activity to basically mirror what Mother Nature would do,” Mr MacDonald said.
He said that meant sand from the western side of the Cape Jaffa breakwater needed to be pumped to the eastern side to hit the beach and disburse.
Mr MacDonald added that the same will apply while moving sand to the northern side of the Maria Creek groyne, as that is where natural conditions would ideally put it.
“With our engineers and coastal protection board, there was a lot of consultation, communication and discussion around the solution for Wyomi Beach and what you’re seeing happen today is where it all ended basically.”
Mr MacDonald spoke about what the council has planned over the next eight years.
“Council will dredge 100,000 cubic metres at Cape Jaffa, an estimated 20,000 cubic metres at Maria Creek and the same will occur the year after that,” Mr MacDonald said.
“The year after that we hope that Cape Jaffa will be under control and that will go 20,000 to Cape Jaffa and still 20,000 for Maria Creek. and then Maria Creek will hopefully drop to 15,000 in those future years.”
That would add up to a total of 475,000 cubic metres over the eight years.
Mr MacDonald explained: “Kingston council had a coastal engineer did a sand management study at Cape Jaffa basically analysing the movement of sand, the estimates the environmental impact study that was originally done for that development. They made some indications on how much sand needs to be moved.”
The council may have to remove even more sand than that, with the sticking point being that the eastern side of the beach will only take so much sand at one time before it disburses naturally.
“So this is certainly an estimate but as a minimum next year and the year after we will be doing 100,000, but then again we might be doing more on top of that.”
Mr MacDonald promised council will keep the community in the loop.
“Whatever the council receives, they’ll want to share it with the community and that is the way it should be.”
Source: Coastal Leader
