Safe navigation restored to Carnarvon fascine amid fast-tracked and expanded dredging program of waterway

Local boaties and visiting mariners to Carnarvon can now safely navigate the town’s fascine this summer following a multi-million-dollar dredging program of the area. The dredging has restored safe navigation for recreational and commercial vessels, after a $3 million one-off dredging campaign for the waterway early last year. Technical studies concluded that built options to improve vehicle access were not viable long-term solutions, prompting a two-year investigation to identify permanent ocean access options. Under the $7m Carnarvon Fascine Entryway and Boat Harbour Pen Project, short-term measures to improve access were implemented while a long-term fix was examined. Several major capital reconfigurations were considered by a group of experts, who found there was no financially viable long-term solution. The Department of Transport last April fast-tracked and expanded its planned dredging of the boat harbour and Teggs Channel to include work at the fascine entry and further stabilisation of the sand spit that breached in 2017. More than 120,000 cubic metres of material has been removed and reclaimed on the sand pit so far. Dredging work continues this month with navigation aids and revegetation treatments expected to be complete by April. David Michael, minister assisting the transport minister, said this news was a “timely result for local mariners and those visiting the Gascoyne over the summer months”. “The decision to add to the planned dredging at Carnarvon was vital in delivering safe navigation now and also allowed for the efficient use of public resources with no duplication of cost to remobilise the dredge at a later date,” he said. “Since 2020 the entryway project has delivered many benefits with the addition of 16 new floating boat pens at Carnarvon Boat Harbour and improvements to the boat launching ramp which have provided greater flexibility to skippers regularly navigating the fascine.” The project involved close collaboration between the department, Shire of Carnarvon, Gascoyne Development Commission and Carnarvon Yacht Club.