Scarborough

To ensure Scarborough Boat Harbour remains accessible to commercial vessels and recreational craft, we commenced a major dredging programme in October 2005.

In 2003 we were hopeful that a new, innovative dredging technique would have enabled us to meet the future dredging needs of the harbour without having to use a lot of land to dry out the dredged material. The new technique involved filling three 70-metre-long geotextile bags (or "sausages") with dredged material. The plan was that, once the material dried, the bags could be cut open and the material removed.

However, we soon discovered that the material would not dry without the use of chemicals that were potentially harmful to the marine environment. We have, therefore, had to employ traditional techniques, which involved spreading the material out to dry in a thin layer over a larger area.

Recognising the popularity of the spit as a popular walking spot, we will be using the outer edge of the spit to provide parkland for the community. The dredged area will be separated and screened from the parkland by fencing and landscaping.

The dredging was completed in December 2005 and undertaken under strict EPA guidelines and our own government-approved dredging plan. Once dry, the material will be removed from the site by trucks. We anticipate that this will only involve no more than approximately three trucks per hour, working eight hours a day over a two-week period. This will then provide space for the next dredging programme.