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Port of Brisbane Chief Executive Officer, Neil Stephens, has welcomed the announcement by the Queensland Government to declare the Channel Enhancement Project a coordinated project requiring an environmental impact statement (EIS).
The port is currently in the early stages of considering the future requirements of its shipping channel. This is in response to the ever-increasing size of vessels that visit the east coast of Australia.
“ The proposed 25-year Port of Brisbane Channel Enhancement Project aims to ensure the shipping channel servicing the port improves efficiency, reduces vessel emissions, and caters for the future needs of the global shipping market ,” Mr. Stephens said.
The proposed program of work will require approvals from both the Queensland and Australian governments.
“ We welcome the decision by the Queensland Coordinator-General as a significant early step in the process and we look forward to working closely with State and Federal government agencies to develop the terms of reference for the project’s EIS which will include comprehensive consultation with a broad range of interested stakeholders including the community and industry ,” Mr. Stephens added.
The Port of Brisbane Channel Enhancement Project will involve capital dredging works to enable increasingly larger and deeper draught container vessels and bulk cargo ships to safely and efficiently transit through Moreton Bay under a wide range of conditions.
In addition to the deepening and widening of existing navigational channels, a number of minor re-alignments and bend radius increases are also proposed to reduce risk whilst entering and leaving the Port.
It is estimated that a volume of approximately 96,500,000 m3 of material would be required to be dredge over a 20 – 25 year period to support the project.