Onsite activities for the planned dredging of boating navigational channels within the Manning River at Farquhar Inlet will begin next week, according to MidCoast Council.
Dredging Solutions will undertake the work on behalf of Council and the team will start mobilisation of the dredge, pipeline and booster pumps via the Bohnock boat ramp next Wednesday, 14 July, with dredging expected to begin soon after.
The dredging works are anticipated to take six weeks and have been scheduled outside the July school holidays to minimise disruption.
“We’re really pleased to see this project coming to fruition and no doubt the wider community will be too,” said Paul De Szell , MidCoast Council’s Director of Liveable Communities.
“The need for dredging of the Inlet has been identified over a long period of time by a number of local groups who regularly use that section of our river and this will result in improved navigation throughout the area, particularly during low tides.”
The dredge spoil will be pumped to two locations. A small amount of dredged material will be deposited on the small sand island near Cowans Lane, west of Charlies Island to enhance threatened shorebird habitat.
The remaining bulk of the dredged material will be pumped via a dredge pipeline and directly discharged back into the ocean at Mitchells Island Beach.