Posted on May 31, 2018
The widening of South Australia’s main shipping channel will cut the risk of large cargo ships and cruise ships bypassing Adelaide, Transport Minister Stephan Knoll says.
The widening of the channel at Port Adelaide, by dredging 1.55 million cubic metres of material from a 7km stretch, will help grow the economy and create more jobs, Mr Knoll said on Tuesday.
“There is a real risk that containerised trade and cruise shipping will skip Adelaide if we aren’t able to accommodate larger vessels,” Mr Knoll said.
“The global shipping market is continually and rapidly expanding with vessels becoming larger as shipping companies seek further economies of scale.”
The dredged material will then be dumped off the coast of the Gulf of St Vincent.
“The Environmental Protection Agency has advised that the disposal at sea option is considered the most effective and environmentally acceptable,” Mr Knoll said.
However, Greens MP Mark Parnell is concern about the environmental impact the dredging will have on sea-grass.
“Where you put the dredge spoil, the 1.55 million cubic metres is one thing, but you have actually got the impact of the dredging itself,” he told ABC radio on Tuesday.
Source: Herald Sun
