Gold Coast Seaway dredging to begin soon

The Gold Coast Waterways Authority (GCWA) of Queensland, Australia, has awarded local company Riverside Marine a AU$6.3 million (US$4.89 million) contract to carry out dredging works to ensure continued access to the Gold Coast Seaway and the adjacent navigation channels.

The seaway is the gateway that connects Gold Coast’s inland coastal waterways network to the open ocean. The dredging project will remove sand that has built up near the entrance to the seaway and in the adjacent North and South Channels.

The GCWA said the result will be improved and safer access for recreational boaters to waterways destinations, especially small and medium vessels travelling through the seaway.

The project will also ensure ongoing access for commercial vessels including trawlers, the local whale-watching fleet, and superyachts coming in for maintenance and servicing.

The authority said this will be the first time in over a decade that dredging has needed to be done near the seaway entrance.

The campaign will remove over 420,000 cubic metres of sand. It will commence in the coming weeks and will be finished by January 2022.

See all the other news, reviews and features of this month’s Marine Projects Week right here.