Posted on July 5, 2023
Plans to dredge Lake Cathie have taken another step forward with Port Macquarie Hastings Council (PMHC) meeting with contractors today to discuss the operation.
PMHC Coast and Estuary Coordinator Ben Foster advised that a dredge will likely occur within the next 6-8 weeks, following a detailed assessment of the lake’s water levels to ensure the equipment can be safely and securely deployed.
“The first step will be to undertake a detailed survey to ascertain the water depths in order for our contractors Dredging Solutions to plan for how to proceed, such as where they need to launch their dredging boat,” Mr Foster said.
“The boat needs adequate water in the lake for it to maintain a suitable buoyancy. While we are confident there is enough water to safely undertake the operation, we do need collect this data to safeguard against any possible issues.
“With forecasted rain on the horizon, this will only help our chances of getting the dredge in sooner. We are confident that we will be able to commence the works within the next 4-6 weeks.”
It has been a week since southerly swells built up the sand berm across the entrance, which closed the lake to the ocean after 16 months.
Mr Forster said the lake’s closure is a natural phenomenon and is part of the normal cycle for intermittently closed and open lagoons (ICOLLs) like Lake Cathie. An artificial opening – which is separate to dredging – can only occur when critical sewage infrastructure becomes threatened by flooding.
It will be the first dredging event in the system since 2018.
“The process will involve extracting excess sand and depositing it along the embankment of Illaroo Road to provide an additional protection buffer to infrastructure and improve long term beach amenity,” Mr Forster said.
“It will also make the lake deeper, improving access for recreational activities including swimming, paddle-boarding and kayaking,” Mr Foster said.
Council will provide a further update when a scheduled date for the dredging operation has been confirmed. Until then, more information about the dredging processes and protocol can be accessed via Council’s dedicated Lake Cathie web page at https://www.pmhc.nsw.gov.au/Places/Waterways-and-coastlines/Lake-Cathie.
