Port Marlborough is kicking off a major dredging project to address sedimentation and secure long-term marine access for Marlborough’s aquaculture industry, Sounds communities and recreational boaties.
According to Port Marlborough, work is now getting started on the Havelock Channel Reinstatement and Marina Redevelopment Project.
The dredging operations will restore reliable access to Havelock’s channel, which has become increasingly difficult to navigate following significant sedimentation caused by the 2021 and 2022 storms.
Historically, maintaining the channel required around 1,500 cubic meters of dredging every five years. Since the storms, sedimentation has increased substantially, with approximately 20,000 cubic meters now estimated to be required over the same period.
The project is being supported with a $9.9 million loan from the Government’s Regional Infrastructure Fund, which is administered by Kānoa – Regional Economic Development & Investment Unit.
The dredging program is set to reset the channel along its full length, both inside and outside the marina boundary. Regular dredging campaigns every five years will then keep it open.