Dredging Work Wrapped Up for Sunshine Airport Expansion

The Sunshine Coast Airport expansion project has reached another significant milestone, with the completion of sand dredging and pumping operations ahead of schedule, the Sunshine Coast Regional Council said in its latest release.

Around 1.3 million cubic meters of sand is now on site and will form the foundation of the runway which remains on track to be completed by Christmas 2020.

Sunshine Coast Mayor, Mark Jamieson, said that finishing the dredging phase of construction was a very important step for the $303 million expansion project.

“Finishing this program of work ahead of time is a great credit to everyone involved,” Mayor Jamieson said.

“I’d like to thank John Holland, the Dredging International crews and the airport expansion project team for managing this huge exercise so smoothly.

“Based on the progress to date, I have every confidence that we will have the pipeline removed and the beach rehabilitated before November 1 – the official start of the turtle nesting season.”

Mayor Jamieson added that the Sunshine Coast Airport Expansion project was forging ahead at a rate of knots.

“Pumping the sand from the Spitfire Channel in Moreton Bay and transporting it to the Sunshine Coast by the Nile River dredge has proven to be an outstanding success,” Jamieson added.

“If this sand had to be transported by road, it would take approximately 12 months to get it on site, with 350 truck movements per day (175 in each direction) or approximately one every 1.7 minutes. Our off-shore solution has seen the same job done in under three months.

“But most importantly, we have avoided 12 months’ of truck movements through towns like Bli Bli, which are on the haul route.”

Mayor Jamieson also said that the airport runway expansion was Sunshine Coast Council’s single largest construction project and would deliver a wealth of benefits to the region.

Project facts

• New runway 2,450 meters long and 45 meters wide;
• $4.1 billion contribution to Gross Regional Product (2020 – 2040);
• Potential to reach new destinations at home and abroad;
• 63 hectares of land will be rehabilitated to offset ecological impacts;
• 2,230 new full-time direct and indirect jobs by 2040;
• 3,500 fewer dwellings affected by five or more aircraft noise events of 70 decibels or more in 2020;
• in 2040 5,000 fewer dwellings affected by five or more aircraft noise events of 70 decibels or more;
• potential to attract up to 2,000,000 passengers to the Sunshine Coast annually.