Transport for NSW is committed to improve and sustain accessibility to key coastal locations, river entrances and local waterways to improve navigation for commercial and recreational vessels.

We are proposing a 10-year dredging program to maintain the depths at the Clyde River Bar, Batemans Bay. This will help keep these important boating facilities navigable and accessible.

A Review of Environmental Factors (REF) has been prepared that will give us environmental approval to dredge when needed for the next 10 years.

Key details of the proposal:

• Dredging at the Clyde River Bar to maintain a navigable channel about 40 metres wide.
• Maintenance dredging every 2-5 years depending on how fast the sand builds up and available funding to remove about 30,000 cubic metres each time.
• Dredging the marina channel to a depth of – 2.9 metres LAT (Lowest Astronomical Tide),
• Placing the dredged sand offshore, about 600 metres from the Surfside Beach shore. Placing dredge sand offshore is common practice for our dredging projects and allows the waves to move sand naturally and potentially will nourish northern beaches.
• Dredging work will take about four weeks, subject to the conditions of the channel at the time of dredging.

Tell us what you think

We have been working with the local council and other agencies during the development of the REF and we would now like your feedback on proposed future dredging operations Clyde River Bar.

The REF describes the key features of a dredging project and assesses the potential environmental and social impacts during construction and operation.

Your feedback will help finalise our plans and REF and will be published as part of the submissions report.