The sand dredging operations on the Tweed River entrance – part of the New South Wales Government’s Tweed Sand Bypassing project – will get underway over the weekend, reports Echonetdaily .
Tweed Sand Bypassing is a joint initiative of the New South Wales and Queensland State Governments. The project’s objectives are to establish and maintain a safe, navigable entrance to the Tweed River and restore and maintain the coastal sand drift to the beaches on the southern Gold Coast of Queensland.
About 150,000 cubic meters of sand will be dredged from the river entrance over 6 to 8 weeks to maintain a clear channel for boating.
According to Member for Tweed, Geoff Provest , maintaining a clear and safe entrance to the Tweed River is crucial for both commercial and recreational boating, and to support the coastal lifestyle which is an integral part of the region’s identity.
“This dredging protects the economic viability of the region. It allows commercial fishermen to navigate the river to make their living, and provides tourism operators, commercial yachts and other recreational water users continued safe passage,” said Provest.
The dredging involves the permanent sand bypass jetty at Letitia Spit which collects naturally drifting sand that would otherwise accumulate at the river entrance, reported Echonetdaily.
The dredged sand from the entrance will be relocated offshore of Duranbah Beach and the southern Gold Coast beaches. Some dredged sand will also be deposited offshore of Tugun/Bilinga and possibly Fingal.