The long running saga of dredging of the Swansea Channel might finally be coming to an end…
Transport for NSW has received environmental approval to carry out maintenance dredging of the channel this month depending on the weather, and the Maritime Delivery Office obtaining a licence for the works from Crown Lands.
Vessels have been unable to access the channel due to an excess amount of sand – the dredging that has been approved will allow for the removal of up to 30,000 cubic metres of sand by two dredging campaigns to create a 30 metre wide channel.
Each campaign will aim to remove up to 15,000 cubic metres of sand, with the dredged sand to be placed on Elizabeth Island.
Swansea MP Yasmin Catley said people have been waiting two years for the channel to be dredged after the issue was left on the backburner by the previous Liberal Government.
Since the Minns Labor Government was elected we have worked to deliver on our commitment to dredge Swansea Channel. It is a great result for the community to be able to announce that we are one step closer to the work commencing this month.
A second dredging campaign will also be carried out in Autumn 2024 and work continues on a 10 year dredging strategy.”
The dredged channel will have 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.
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.