Gold Coast Nourishment: TSHD Balder R Breaks Down

The 111-meter trailing suction hopper dredger Balder R, which has been operating offshore of the Gold Coast for the past month, has broken down, the Gold Coast Bulletin reports.

The dredger, owned by Danish company Rohde Nielsen, stopped work yesterday after maintenance issues. Mechanics are working to get the dredger working again in the next couple of days.

The dredging vessel will spend 16 weeks working along Palm Beach and the coastal strip from Miami to Main Beach as part of the Gold Coast Beach Nourishment Project.

Mayor Tom Tate said that the project would increase the volume of sand on their vulnerable beaches above and below the waterline, improving their resilience to coastal erosion.

The breakdown will not cost ratepayers and has not set back the $13.9 million Beach Nourishing project, according to the Gold Coast Bulletin.