Cullen Bay maintenance dredging about to begin

Urgent maintenance dredging program at Darwin’s Cullen Bay is set to begin in the following days.

The entrance channel and basin have silted up more rapidly in the recent past, impacting on vessel access into Cullen Bay, particularly at lower tides and for deeper draft vessels. This has resulted in cancellations and delays to ferry services due to limited low-tide access to Cullen Bay. Urgent dredging is now required.

The scope of work includes:

• mobilizing and commissioning a cutter suction dredge and ancillary marine plant and personnel,
• setting up sunken hoses to convey the dredge materials away from Cullen Bay,
• dredging the basin and access channel to Cullen Bay ferry facility to relocate the silts to a disposal site away from Cullen Bay to deep water west of Emery Point.

The dredging work is anticipated to be completed by July/August 2025, subject to progress.

Also, dredging will be undertaken in accordance with environmental requirements, including controlling and monitoring water quality and managing cutter suction dredger operations.

The facility supports the movement of over 150,000 passengers each year, with approximately 150 ferry services between Darwin and Tiwi Islands and 4,000 services between Darwin and Mandorah.