Port of Townsville said that annual maintenance dredging will begin on August 17 in Cleveland Bay with the trailing suction hopper dredger (TSHD) Brisbane removing natural sediment from the shipping channel to ensure vessels can safely access the Port to provide essential goods to the region.
The dredging operations will occur 24 hours a day, seven days a week for approximately four weeks.
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.
The Port’s Hydrographic Surveyors use specialist equipment and carry out detailed surveying four times per year to measure the depth of the port infrastructure and monitor the volume of sediment building up.
According to the Port, the survey results are measured against the approved navigational depths, anticipated shipping tends, and projects or developments that may affect navigational requirements.