Kingston District Council, in southeast South Australia, has purchased a fit-for-purpose cutter suction dredge to manage the ongoing movement of sand and seagrass at the Cape Jaffa Anchorage.
In 2008, the Cape Jaffa Anchorage Marina was officially opened to Kingston’s commercial fishing fleet and recreational fishers.
The management of sand and seagrass movement around the marina will always be essential to ensuring the facility remains fully operational.
Over the past few years sand and seagrass movement has been in excess of that identified in the Environmental Impact Study, which has caused the marina to be closed on a number of occasions, despite the best efforts of the developer and Council.
After carefully undertaking due diligence procedures and with the assistance of LGA Procurement, Council completed an international tender process and in November 2017, engaged Damen Shipyard Group, based in the Netherlands, to supply a new $3 million cutter suction dredge.
Council believe the long-term benefits of the dredge purchase validate the capital investment and is confident in the resulting outcomes, including:
- cost effective and discreet management of sand and seagrass movement
- confidence of commercial fishing fleet in operation of Marina
- increased tourism from fully operational recreational boat ramps
- benefits to Council’s reputation through proactive thinking and long-term, sustainable solutions and
- safety of Council staff by using fit-for-purpose equipment.
The dredge has been fully operational for nine months, successfully clearing excess material from the marina channel and is now working on creating a buffer to ensure it remains clear through the upcoming winter period.
A key lesson for Kingston District Council is that you must have the right equipment to manage ‘Mother Nature’s’ influence on coastal infrastructure.
With the right equipment and carefully planned intervention, risk to facilities such as marinas and recreational boat ramp facilities can be successfully managed and mitigated.
