Port of Townsville Channel Upgrade in full swing

The $193 million Port of Townsville Channel Upgrade Project, a joint project of the Queensland and Australian governments and Port of Townsville Limited, is moving forward according to schedule.

The Channel Upgrade forms part of the Townsville City Deal signed in December 2016.

According to the latest project update, Hall Contracting is currently building a 2.2km rock wall. Since kicking off operations in March, Hall has installed more than 475,000t of rock.

Part of the City Deal, the sea wall is the critical first phase of a project that will eventually widen the approach channel to the port, allowing ships of up to 300 metres in length to visit Townsville.

Queensland Treasurer and Minister for Infrastructure and Planning, Cameron Dick, said that construction of the sea wall is an all-Queensland affair that will deliver far-reaching economic benefits for Townsville.

“Local quarry companies Holcim and HyTec along with Ravenswood Gold mine are suppling 750 000 tonnes of rock, and Queensland company Hall Contracting is building the 2.2-kilometre wall,” Minister Dick said.

“The Port of Townsville is a key economic gateway for the wider Townsville region and our investment will ensure the entire North Queensland economy can benefit now and into the future.”

A need for Channel Upgrade

The Port of Townsville is Northern Australia’s largest commercial port, but its shipping channel is one of the narrowest in Australia (92 metres).

The narrow channel means that only ships of up to 238 metres in length can access the Port.

Ships are getting longer, so the Port needs to adapt so that it can accommodate those vessels and continue to meet the growing requirements of North Queensland.

Seagrass surveys

Researchers from JCU: James Cook University, Australia’s TropWATER are currently conducting Seagrass Surveys in Townsville.

The team has been monitoring seagrass in Cleveland Bay annually since 2007 and stepped it up to twice-yearly surveys last year as part of the marine monitoring for the Channel Upgrade project.

The seagrass surveys are undertaken from helicopter at low tide for intertidal seagrass meadows and by boat for subtidal and deep water seagrass meadows.

The research team looks at multiple factors including the biomass, spatial footprint and number of seagrass species present.

What will the Channel Upgrade Project deliver?

The Channel Upgrade Project will result in a wider shipping channel and the construction of a 62 hectare Port Reclamation Area. 

The shipping channel will be widened to 180 metres at the inshore (Port) end, then taper to a width of 120 metres in the Sea Channel.

The Port Reclamation Area will be protected by a rock wall.

All capital dredge material removed during channel widening will be transported to the mainland to be re-used in the construction of the Reclamation Area.

By 2023, cruise, commercial and naval vessels of up to 300 metesr in length will be able to safely access the Port of Townsville.

Long-term development of the Port of Townsville

Since its establishment in 1864, the Port of Townsville has continuously expanded in response to the growing needs of North Queensland.

The latest evolution of the Port is the Port Expansion Project; the largest infrastructure project in which the Port has invested.

The Port Expansion Project is a 30-year development that will include six additional berths as well as a wider shipping channel.

The project is being implemented in several stages to meet forecast trade demands.

The first stage of the Port Expansion Project includes the five-year Channel Upgrade Project that will deliver a wider shipping channel and a 62 hectare Port Reclamation Area.