A $6 MILLION contract to dredge the channel in Corio Bay has been awarded to the New Zealand-based Heron Construction Company.
The channel-widening works are expected to start mid-year and take about two months.
Maritime contractor Waterway Constructions, of Williamstown, will relocate navigation beacons at the dredging site before the dredging begins.
The works follow a series of studies in recent years to ensure the Victorian Regional Channels Authority network can meet future changes including a trend towards bigger ships that service the Geelong port’s key trades and increased vessel numbers.
The contract was announced by Deputy Premier Peter Ryan and Minister for Ports David Hodgett as “part of an ongoing push to improve safety, capacity and efficiency in the shipping lanes” at Geelong.
“As ships in the world fleet continue to grow in size, it is our job to ensure they have safe access to Geelong’s port. This widening of the channel at City Bend is a key part in our plan to increase channel capacity as the port heads towards a forecasted doubling of trade by 2030,” Mr Hodgett said.
More than 650 ships are forecast to visit Geelong port this financial year. A record 13.2 million tonnes of cargo valued at about $7.6 billion passed through the port last year, Mr Ryan said.
Channels authority CEO Captain Peter McGovern said the contract included “maintenance and storage of the relocated state-of-the-art beacons” and the placement of temporary beacons at City Bend while dredging was under way.
_ NOEL MURPHY
