Swansea Channel Dredging Underway

Lake Macquarie boaters can look forward to the Swansea Channel remaining safe and navigable with stage two of dredging underway.

13,000 cubic metes of sand will be removed from the Drop Over, Swan Bay entrance and Dog Leg over the coming weeks.

Dredging is expected to be completed in July, provided there are no delays. The sand will be placed on Elizabeth Island.

This is the second of a two-stage dredging campaign funded by the NSW Government last year.

These works follow a successful first round of dredging which saw 16,690 cubic metres of sand removed from the three areas to create a 30-metre-wide channel, extending from the Dog Leg southeast of Elizabeth Island, up to the Drop Over northwest of the Swan Bay Entrance.

Work continues on a 10-year strategy to ensure timely, regular dredging work is conducted and allow the dredged sand to be used to revitalise Blacksmiths Beach.

Member for Swansea, Yasmin Catley said:

“This clearly demonstrates a shift in the approach to dredging under the NSW Labor Government with proactive dredging taking place before the Channel becomes unnavigable.

“This latest campaign is welcome news for the community, and I look forward to working with Minister Haylen in advancing the 10-year dredging strategy to deliver long-term certainty for local boaters”.