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Transport for NSW has received environmental approval to carry out maintenance dredging of the Swansea Channel and is planning to start by the end of July, subject to obtaining a Crown Lands dredging licence and weather conditions.
The dredging allows for the removal of up to 30,000m3 of sand over two dredging campaigns this financial year.
“We will confirm the start date for dredging once we have the Crown Lands Licence,” said Transport for NSW in the release. “We will award the contract for dredging the Swansea Channel as soon as we have completed the tender review process.”
Swansea Channel connects Lake Macquarie to the Pacific Ocean and Is the only entrance to the popular boating area in the Hunter region. Lake Macquarie is twice the size of Sydney Harbour and the largest saltwater lake in the Southern Hemisphere.
The history of Swansea Channel indicates that this is not a natural continually open navigational channel into Lake Macquarie. Since 1970 Swansea Channel has been dredged 20 times.
The regular dredging ensures a 30-metre-wide channel is maintained and accessible for vessels with draft of up to 2.5 metre.