Sand removal at Tuross Head boat ramp

Council will remove sand from around the Lavender Point boatramp in Tuross Head later this month to make it easier for boats to navigate through the channel.

The sand has built up over the last few years but became worse after the January floods.

Up to 200 cubic metres of sand immediately east of the boatramp will be excavated at the point where the two main channels meet towards the river mouth. An excavator mounted on a barge will move the sand out of the main channel and onto the existing sandbar.

The excavation is expected to take a week, starting on Monday 15 February and should finish on the Friday, weather permitting.

The work has been planned around the availability of the specialist machinery, the tides, and to have it finished well before the Tuross fishing tournament in March.

The boatramp will remain open during the excavation, except on the morning of 15 February when the equipment is put in place. Access to the channel will be limited while the works take place, especially at low tide, and an exclusion zone will be set up around the excavation site.

Council will use the good tide range that week to keep the machinery working in the water for as long as the tide permits. Most of the work will take place in daylight hours but this may vary to suit the tide.