Maintenance Dredging at Nelly Bay Harbour

About the project

Council is responsible for maintenance of canal sections in Nelly Bay Harbour. There is currently a significant build-up of material (sediment) in parts of the marina that needs to be removed by dredging.

Earlier this year, Council postponed planned maintenance dredging to prioritise significant roads and bridge restoration work in the area.

Since then, we’ve been reevaluating options for the treatment and management of dredged materials, including revisiting the feasibility of those initially assessed in 2020. Council will retender the dredging contract ahead of works starting in 2026.

Following preliminary discussions with federal and state governments, Council is now exploring whether sea placement of dredged material may be a feasible option.

We are at early stages of discussions on this alternative – it would need to meet all the criteria of sustainability, including environmental and cost.

As we continue investigations into the feasibility of sea placement, Council will need to submit an application for the appropriate permit, which we plan to do later this year.

The use of Council’s site at Kelly Street in Nelly Bay remains our current approved option and has the required permits and approvals in place.

Our reassessment has confirmed that there are no changes affecting the viability of other previously considered alternatives – these remain unfeasible.

As part of our ongoing investigations, Council is now inviting community feedback on sea placement as a potential option.

To learn more about sea placement, view our interactive map by clicking below.

Or view the text version here.

Tips for using the interactive map:

Desktop or Laptop:
Scroll: Use your mouse scroll to move through the information on the map. If the text box is longer than your screen height, scroll down to view the full content. You can also click on an individually numbered item of interest to read more.
Zoom: Use the plus and minus icons on the bottom right.
Pan the Map: Click and drag to move around the map and view different areas.
Reset View: If you get lost, use the “Home” icon in the bottom right to return to the default view.

Mobile:
Tap to Explore: Tap features for pop-up info; pinch to zoom and swipe to pan.
Landscape Mode: Rotate your device for a wider view.

Next Steps

Council is preparing to submit a permit application to the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water for sea placement. The application would be for a multi-year permit (10-year period) to support ongoing maintenance dredging in Nelly Bay Harbour. If you would like to provide feedback on this proposal, please click on the link below.

We will consider any feedback received as part of our ongoing investigation into options for disposal or management of dredged material from Nelly Bay. The survey below will close on 6 December 2025.

Council will publish a report on the feedback received and update our Q&A documents with answers to any frequently asked questions. Please check the Maintenance Dredging at Nelly Bay Harbour project page for future updates.