24/01/2018 06:17 PM

Port Authority survey team clears the way in Eden

Eden on the South Coast of NSW is another step closer to becoming a firm fixture on the Australian cruise map after the project to create a 110m wharf extension meets another milestone.

Last November, an eight-week-long dredging project removed 231,500 cubic metres of sediment from Eden’s seabed to prepare the port for visits from some of the world’s largest cruise ships. To make sure the seabed was cleared properly, the Port Authority of New South Wales’ survey team was called in to make sure the channel will be safe to host these giant ships.

Port Authority of New South Wales’ survey team ensures the waters of Sydney Harbour, Port Botany, Yamba and Eden are safe for shipping at all times

They are called out to survey the depths of the shipping channels and berths using the latest in multibeam echosounder technology and then create highly accurate bathymetric charts of the seabed. 

The Port Authority survey vessel, Port Explorer, was transported overland from Sydney to Eden to carry out the extensive survey work to ensure that the required depths have been achieved within the dredge area.

The survey also ensured that there were no hazards to navigation in the approach channel to Eden and that all of the dredge material removed from the berth was deposited safley away from the shipping channels, as required by the environmental impact assessment. 

Eden is becoming increasingly popular as a destination for the cruise industry. Fifteen cruise ships are due to visit the port town over the 2017/2018 cruise season — up from 14 visits during 2016/17 and 8 over 2015/16.

The $44 million Eden Breakwater Wharf Extension Project is set to transform Eden into a major cruise destination. The significant project will allow the biggest cruise ships – over 300 metres in length – to berth in Snug Cove instead of having to anchor in the harbour and ferry passengers to and from shore by tender.

A final survey by the Port Authority team will take place following completion of the wharf construction, prior to the first ship visiting.