Emergency dredging works to re-open the Port of Bundaberg to smaller commercial shipping commenced on Saturday, 13 April 2013.
Member for Burnett Stephen Bennett said the emergency works would be done by the trailer suction hopper dredge “Brisbane”.
“The Port of Bundaberg was badly impacted by the unprecedented flooding of the Burnett River in late January, resulting in a major reduction in the port’s channel depth due to siltation, ” Mr Bennett said.
“ A dozen navigational aids were also destroyed in the floods. Because of this the port has been closed to commercial shipping since the end of January. Every effort is being made to fix these problems and to get the port re-opened to restrictive commercial shipping before the start of the sugar harvest in early June.”
The Gladstone Ports Corporation, owner and operator of the Port of Bundaberg, and Maritime Safety Queensland have started to remove damaged navigational aids and flood debris from the port area.
“ Once these are removed, the dredging can proceed unhindered and to make way for the placement of new port navigational aids ,” Mr Bennett said.
“It’s expected that on completion of the emergency dredging and the replacement of the required navigational aids, the port will be open to vessels with a capacity to ship up to 10,000 – 15,000 tonnes of bulk product.”
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Press Release, April 15, 2013