- Biennial maintenance dredging to commence this month
- Entrance channel depth to be restored
- Material to be pumped east of the harbour to reduce infilling
- Permanent pipeline to be used to widen Castletown Beach in future campaigns
Work will begin this week to clear a build-up of sand at Bandy Creek Boat Harbour at Esperance.
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.
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 the Department of Transport (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.
For more information about DoT’s dredging program, facilities or the State’s network of navigation aids keeping vessels safe on Western Australian waters visit https://www.transport.wa.gov.au/imarine
As stated by Transport Minister Rita Saffioti:
“This is a great example of how a collaborative and co-ordinated 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.”
