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Trailing suction hopper dredger (TSHD) Brisbane has returned to Cleveland Bay to continue the annual maintenance dredging campaign.
According to the Port of Townsville, dredging activity will recommence today and continue until 8 November 2024. It will occur 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
This return is necessary to make up for lost time due to operational constraints at the start of the campaign. Earlier in October, TSHD Brisbane had to move on from Cleveland Bay to avoid coral spawning.
The Port of Townsville is currently linked to national shipping routes by a 14 kilometer long and 92 meter wide channel through Cleveland Bay. This channel is maintained to a depth of 11.7m to enable ships up to 238m to safely enter the port.
A maintenance dredge campaign is usually conducted once a year for around 4-5 weeks, depending on the amount of sediment building up in the channel and harbor.
It includes TSHD Brisbane removing natural sediment from the shipping channel to ensure vessels can safely access the port to provide essential goods to the region.