Posted on July 12, 2023
Long-awaited maintenance of the Swansea Channel is scheduled this month after Transport for NSW received environmental approval to carry out the work.
However, that’s still subject to weather conditions and obtaining a licence from Crown Lands.
The dredging, which will start once the Maritime Delivery Office (MIDO) receives the necessary “green light”, allows for the removal of up to 30,000m3 of sand over two campaigns.
Each will aim to eliminate up to 15,000 cubic metres of sand, with it to be placed on Elizabeth Island.
This operation should provide a 30-metre-wide channel to a depth of -3.5 AHD and allow for vessels with a draft of up to 2.5-metre to travel through the Swansea Channel.
“For two years the people have waited for it to be dredged as the issue was left on the backburner by the previous Liberal government,” Swansea MP Yasmin Catley said.
“Since Labor was elected, we’ve worked to deliver on our commitment to dredge Swansea Channel.
“It’s a great result for the community to be able to announce that we’re one step closer to the work beginning in July.
“A second dredging campaign will also be carried out in autumn 2024 while work continues on a 10-year strategy.”
A start date for July is expected to be confirmed once MIDO has its Crown Lands approval.
The organisation will then award the contract for dredging the Swansea Channel as soon as it has completed the tender review process – and will publish details of this on the project website.
In the meantime, some vessels can continue to use the alternative navigable route through the “Airforce Channel”, which runs east-west between Naru Point and Lake Macquarie.
