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Marine Dredging

Facilities Closure for Marine Dredging – Tumby Bay Marina and Port Neill Boat Ramp

The District Council of Tumby Bay will undertake marine dredging at Tumby Bay Marina and Port Neill Boat Ramp in early 2025. This important initiative is designed to tackle restoration of water depth through removal of accumulated sediments to enhance navigational safety at these key marine facilities.

Project Overview

This dredging project is supported by a grant of $248,744 from the Australian Government’s Local Roads and Community Infrastructure Program.

The project aims to:

  • Tumby Bay Marina: Restore design water depths in specific locations. This will resolve sediment accumulation issues and greatly improve navigational safety and accessibility for all marine users.
  • Port Neill Boat Ramp: Removal of accumulated sediments and restoration of design water depth to allow safe access at all tide states for recreational and emergency services users.

Current Project Status

    As at the 24th March 2025, the marine dredging project has progressed through some further approval phases.

  • Development Approval: Planning consent and building consent has been granted for both Tumby Bay and Port Neill sites.
  • Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) Licence: Council’s EPA dredging licence has both Tumby Bay Marina and Port Neill Boat Ramp works added to this licence.
  • Dredging Management Plans: These plans will offer detailed insights into the proposed works, dredging operations and procedures.
  • Communication Update: 17 March 2025 – Revised start dates for commencement of works at Tumby Bay Marina.
  • Communication Update: 24 March 2025 -  Tumby Bay Marina works to commence 25 March, 2025.
  • Communication Update: 28 March 2025 -  Tumby Bay Marina works to commence 31 March, 2025.

    • Tumby Bay Marina– Dredging Management Plan was approved by the EPA on 03/02/2025.
    Port Neill Boat Ramp – Dredging Management Plan has been submitted to the EPA and is pending approval.
    This document will be uploaded as soon as it’s available.

Timeline and Operations

Dates for dredging have been confirmed with the contactor. Work is scheduled to be undertaken at each site within the dates below:

  • Tumby Bay Marina: Dredging is planned between 31 March 2025 to 12 April 2025, depending on weather and operational conditions, with a duration of 2-4 weeks.
  • Port Neill Boat Ramp: Dredging is planned between 28 April 2025 to 24 May 2025, also for a 2-4 week period, depending on weather and operating conditions.

During the works, these sites will be temporarily closed, which we understand may cause short term inconvenience. However, the work is expected to be completed within a relatively short timeframe, and we will reopen the facilities as soon as possible.

Impact on Facilities and Access

During the works, these sites will be temporarily closed, which we understand may cause short term inconvenience. However, the work is expected to be completed within a relatively short timeframe, and we will reopen the facilities as soon as possible.

The frequently asked questions document will assist to answer some current common questions.

Specific Information for Tumby Bay Marina:

Impact on Marina Access

Please be advised that for the full duration of dredging works,  the marina channel and boat ramp will be inaccessible to the public, and  all access into and out of the marina waterway will be closed. The closure of the marina and boat ramp is necessary to ensure safety, environmental compliance and to facilitate the efficient completion of dredging operations. Works will cease by 12th April to ensure access is available for the school holiday and Easter period.

For vessels currently moored at private pontoons within the marina, owners/users will temporarily be unable to depart or enter the marina waterway during the site closure. Vessel owners may explore their own offsite mooring solutions or retrieval of their vessels for launching at alternate site locations, provided that vessels are relocated prior to the commencement of the dredging works. Alternative boat ramp access will be available at Port Neill boat ramp during the marina dredging works.

Other Impacts

It is expected that the dredging works will generate short term environmental impacts including noise, odour and impacts on water quality.

The works will be conducted in accordance with a dredging licence and dredging management plans approved by the EPA. The dredging management plan provides mitigation measures to avoid or minimise impacts to the extent possible.

Noise: Noise generation is currently expected to be limited to the ordinary hours of 7am to 7pm, Monday to Saturday. Should work outside of these times be proposed, it will be subject to an EPA noise exemption. Works outside of the ordinary hours (including night works) may be sought in order to maximise use of favourable tidal conditions for the works.

Odour: Dredged sediments are expected to generate an odour upon removal from the marine environment. This odour is the result of decomposing seagrass wrack, and is expected to dissipate within a matter of days following excavation.

Water Quality: Disturbed fine sediments will be contained within the dredging area using silt curtains, and all dredged materials will be managed and disposed of according to the dredging management plan. Visual monitoring of the sediment plume will be undertaken, with limits on the extent of plume allowed before works will cease and a review of activities will be undertaken.

Notifications and Consultation

As part of Councils development approval application and EPA licence application process relevant sensitive receivers were directly contacted by the EPA with opportunity to provide feedback. Port Neill was subject to public consultation period through Planning SA for the development application between 20/06/2024 and 10/07/2024.

Further notification for the dates for work will be updated on our website and through social media with relevant sensitive receivers to the dredging works notified via mail.

More Information

This website will be updated with any new information as it is available.

Other relevant documents can be found below: