Flinders Ports announced that a project to widen Port Adelaide’s Outer Harbour shipping channel and swing basin has been approved by Australia’s Environment Protection Authority (EPA), so the project can now commence. Flinders Ports has contracted dredging firm Boskalis to undertake the widening project, which will begin in June 2019 and continue for three months.
Additionally to the dredging licence, the Department for Environment and Water (DEW) approved a Native Vegetation Clearance permit that will enable the operator to clear seagrass and other natural materials as part of the expansion.
Stewart Lammin, CEO of Flinders Ports, highlighted the company’s aim to eliminate the environmental impact of the channel widening project. Thus, this initiative is to underpin Port Adelaide’s annual US$9.9 billion contribution to the economy.
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Moreover, Lammin commented that Flinders Ports have been collaborating with representatives of the EPA, Primary Industries and Regions SA (PIRSA) and the South Australian Research and Development Institute (SARDI), to identify any risks and establish strategies and protocols for addressing them.
In light of the dredging project, Flinders Ports will use state-of-the-art equipment to eliminate turbidity, loss of seagrass and any impact on fauna, adherence to an agreed seasonal window and the imposition of comprehensive risk management protocols.
As Lammin noted, the project will make sure of the continued global relevance of Port Adelaide, and will enable it to accommodate “Post Panamax” container ships that are growing in both number and size within the shipping sector.
Concluding, for the time being Port Adelaide is the only Australian capital city port unable to accommodate these vessels.
