TASMANIA'S main freight gateway is set for a major maintenance dredging campaign, with TasPorts beginning a 14-week program at the Port of Devonport to maintain safe navigation for vessels serving the island state.
The trailing suction hopper dredger Albatros, operated by Dutch Dredging Australia Pty Ltd, arrived in Devonport ahead of the campaign, which will remove up to 470,000 cubic metres of sediment from the port’s navigation channels and berths.
Material including sand, rock, clay and silt carried down the Mersey River will be relocated to an approved offshore disposal site as part of the works.
TasPorts group executive major projects, assets and technical services Michel de Vos said routine dredging was critical to maintaining the port’s declared depths and supporting the safe movement of vessels.
“Routine dredging ensures the navigational channels and berths remain at their declared depths, which in turn provides a safe navigational passage for Tasmania’s major freight and tourism operators to pass through the port,” Mr de Vos said.
The campaign is the first to be carried out under TasPorts’ new 10-year Sea Dumping permit issued by the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water.
According to TasPorts, the permit followed environmental assessments and consultation with stakeholders including local and state government representatives, community members and fishing and environmental groups through an independent technical advisory committee.
Environmental monitoring will form a key part of the campaign, with real-time water quality data collected from six monitoring buoys positioned around the port and transmitted around the clock.
Mr de Vos said the system would allow operators to adjust dredging activity if turbidity levels changed during the works.
Tasmania’s Minister for Infrastructure and Transport Kerry Vincent said the Port of Devonport remained a critical gateway for the state.
“For many visitors to our island, the Port of Devonport is their first experience,” Minister Vincent said.
“We need it thriving, and we want to see it running smoothly as we welcome freight, passengers and livestock in and out of our island home.”
The Port of Devonport handled 938 vessel visits and more than four million tonnes of freight in FY2025, including fuel, industrial bulk and general cargo.