Dredging will begin at Hawks Nest next week in an effort to remove 120,000 cubic metres of marine sand from the eastern channel of the lower Myall River.
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The Moira Parade boat ramp will be closed to the public on Monday, May 25 as MidCoast Council contractor, Dredging Solutions, uses the ramp to mobilise the dredge, pipeline and booster pumps.
Half of the $1.7 million project has been made possible through a grant received from the NSW Government's Rescuing our Waterways Program.
The project is estimated to take 27 weeks.
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Shallow zones in the eastern channel of the river that affect the ability of boat traffic to move through the area safely have been identified by both RMS Boating Safety Officers and regular boat users.
"We dredge this section of the river intermittently, based on feedback from a number of local groups who regularly use that section of our river and this will result in improved navigation, while also having the added bonus of being able to assist with beach erosion," council's coastal management coordinator Andrew Staniland said.
"One hundred thousand cubic metres of the dredge spoil will be pumped via a pipeline to Winda Woppa, where it will top up the stockpile that is needed for our sand transfer system, and the other 20,000 cubic metres will immediately provide a temporary sand buffer for ongoing beach erosion at Jimmys Beach."
Boat users are advised to be aware of changed conditions in the area while the works are underway, including underwater, anchored pipelines and limited thoroughfare in the channel.
RMS-approved navigation markers will be in place.
The Moira Parade boat ramp will be closed to the public for a second time once the dredging is completed, to enable the contractor to demobilise.
Parts of Jimmys Beach will have restricted access once the beach nourishment operations are underway in order to make way for the machinery.
"We will continue to keep the community updated on the progress of this project and there will be signage in place and a clear work zone established," Mr Staniland said.
To find out more about the project, click here.
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