TSHD Albatros clearing the Napier Port of sediment

Hopper dredger Albatros will once again clear the channel of sediment, which builds up over time, so boats can continue to move through the Napier Port safely.

The dredge ship threequarters of the length of a rugby field will be clearing shallow spots in the inner harbour channel over the next few weeks, depending on the weather and tides, announced the Napier City Council.

Sediment builds up over time, and the City Council is legally obliged to ensure the channel has a low tide depth of no less than 2.4m.

A recent survey found some localized areas were approaching the minimum, so TSHD Albatros was contracted to carry out this routine maintenance.

The Council also added that the dredger can only operate for three hours each side of high tide. Conditions of the resource consent for this activity include: restricting disposal of dredged materials to specified locations at sea, and only under limited sea and wind conditions to ensure that materials do not disperse beyond the agreed disposal site.

Hopper dredger Albatros is also carrying out work on behalf of Napier Port under a separate contract.