The sustainable maintenance of safe navigable waterways for small commercial and public boating facilities through dredging is an ongoing task. This is often undertaken by the local waterways manager as a no cost or low cost to the user. Usually the sites to be dredged involve relatively small dredge volumes and the sites dredged are often managed on a case-by-case basis. Where the dredged materials are suitable as beach fill, the dredge spoil can be usefully pumped to shore to build up the beach. When the waterway interrupts the littoral transport, the dredged spoil can be managed to simulate natural transport processes by pumping sand to the downstream side of the works. GHD has recently assisted a local waterways manager to set up a dredging contract for all sites under their control. The role also includes providing technical advice and annual audit of works to help the authority manage the works. Under the contract 13 sites within Port Phillip Bay and Western Port Bay are dredged by a single contractor for a period of 3 years, with options for further extension of the contract subject to satisfactory performance. This is a major change in operating procedure compared to the piecemeal activities that have occurred in the past.
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