Hall Contracting, an Australian dredging and civil construction company, has acquired a new backhoe dredger.
The giant – a Backacter (BA) 900 christened Woomera – is now the largest Australian-owned backhoe dredger, and is capable of excavating hard rock and clay in confined locations.
Commenting the latest news, Hall Contracting CEO, Cameron Hall , said that prior to purchasing the Woomera, the business’ dredging fleet had been comprised solely of cutter suction dredges.
“This dredge will enable us to undertake a more diverse range of projects as we continue to expand our presence both in Australia and internationally, ” Mr Hall said.
“It’s great to be able to compete with the European dredging companies on works requiring both a large backhoe dredge and large cutter suction dredge.”
Mr Hall also said that his team was preparing for Woomera to undertake its first job since joining Australian waters.
“The dredge will be officially unveiled in Brisbane this week, and relocated north to Cairns soon after to assist in widening and deepening the Trinity Inlet shipping channel,” he said.
“We expect Woomera will commence works in July, and we look forward to showcasing her capabilities.
“We’re excited by the versatility the dredge’s 10m³, 13m³ and 18m³ bucket attachments offer, and will be putting these to good use in the coming weeks.”
Spanning 65 meters in length, Woomera was designed in the Netherlands and can dredge depths of up to 26 meters.