The Department of Transport (DoT) has scheduled pumping work to reduce infilling at Bandy Creek Boat Harbour in Esperance, Western Australia to restore depth to the channel entrance.
The $1.5 million biennial maintenance dredging project will see around 60,000 cubic metres of material extracted, restoring channel depths at the entrance to the harbour and reducing the sand trap adjacent to the eastern breakwater to improve navigation and safety.
Western Australia Transport and Planning Minister, Rita Saffioti, said, “This is a great example of how a collaborative and coordinated approach to coastal management between state and local governments can result in better outcomes for the community and reduce the long-term costs to managers.
“Once complete the permanent pipeline to Castletown Beach will deliver sand to widen the coastline, protect the foreshore and enhance the beach for locals and visitors to the area.
“While the upcoming dredging at Bandy Creek could not be delayed, future dredging campaigns will make use of the permanent pipeline to Castletown Beach.”
The dredged material will be pumped about one kilometre east of the harbour to maintain the natural coastal processes interrupted by the breakwaters.
As part of the 2021 dredging campaign, DoT worked with the Shire of Esperance to trial the pumping of dredged material to widen Castletown Beach via a 3.6km temporary pipeline.
Following the successful trial, $750,000 from DoT’s Hotspot Coastal Adaptation and Protection grant scheme was allocated to implement a permanent, buried, pipeline to pump dredged material to Castletown Beach in future campaigns. Work on the pipeline is expected to be completed later this year.
The upcoming dredging has seen close consultation with the local community including cultural heritage training with Esperance Tjaltjraak Native Title Aboriginal Corporation.
