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Cairns Cruise Ship Development

Ports North engaged us to provide specialist engineering design of the dredging and disposal site and environmental advice for the EIS process.

The Requirement

Ports North completed an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) investigating channel improvements in late 2012 in accordance with the Terms of Reference set out by both the State and Federal Governments. During the course of the EIS, changes including the Federal Government’s regulation on sea disposal and the Queensland Government’s Sustainable Ports Development Act 2015 impacted the EIS outcomes.

We were engaged to provide specialist engineering and environmental inputs for the EIS process and design of a dredge material containment pond (reclamation area). The Cairns Shipping Development project involved the deepening and widening of the entrance channel and basin at the Port of Cairns to accommodate large cruise vessels. This involved dredging approximately 800,000 cubic metres of material which was pumped to the onshore dredge material placement area. Some of the dredged material, particularly the stiff clays, were beneficially reused as surcharge material on the land and incorporated into future land developments. Impacts to the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park in the vicinity was monitored and managed by avoiding marine placement there. 

Solutions

We provided technical expertise in the area of dredging and reclamation design as part of the Cairns Shipping Development revised EIS. The extent of dredging and reclamation design works included the following:

Benefits

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