Clarence River Improvements on the Way

Planning is underway to deliver $3.3 million in vital coastal infrastructure improvements in the Clarence river region, Minister for Natural Resources, Lands and Water Kevin Humphries and Member for Clarence Chris Gulaptis announced this yesterday.

Mr Humphries said $1 million is being invested in the Yamba Boat Harbour including upgrades to mooring, catwalks, revetment wall and replacing piles at the jetty. “A tender for the project has been called with work scheduled to start in early 2015,” Mr Humphries said.

The current steel piles and fendering system around the concrete jetty are going to be replaced as they are at the end of their service life. The mooring upgrade will involve the replacement of 19 catwalk structures and upgrades to power and water services. A further $1 million will be invested to upgrade the Clarence River Northern Breakwater over the next two years.

A contract has been awarded to Manly Hydraulics Laboratory to model and design the repairs to restore the breakwater after years of natural attrition from the ocean and weather conditions, with works are expected to commence next February,” Mr Humphries said.

Mr Gulaptis said the NSW Government will also commit up to $700,000 for dredging works at Yamba and Iluka and $600,000 to ensure the accessibility and health of the Evans River waterway.

The NSW Liberals & Nationals are committed to restoring navigation and the health of key waterways across the State by funding key dredging projects that will in turn support local economies and tourism industries,” Mr Gulaptis said.

These vital projects aim to maintain navigation channels critical to the operations of industry, the commercial fishing fleet and recreational boaters. As part of these works, up to 30,000 square metres of clean sand will be removed from the Evans River and dredging will be undertaken at the Iluka boat harbour and Yamba boat harbour channel between March and July 2015.

The Clarence electorate will benefit enormously from the dredging works, which are scheduled to be completed in mid-2015. These waterways are so important to communities throughout the Clarence and I am extremely pleased to be able to deliver funding for vital work that was long neglected by the former Labor government,” Mr Gulaptis said.

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Press Release