Dredging will be required as part of the construction of the Victorian Renewable Energy Terminal
For the Terminal to support the development of offshore wind, areas of the seabed within the project area will need to be deepened to account for the size and draft of the vessels.
The Port of Hastings Corporation recognises and has put priority on minimising dredging wherever possible, in terms of both the volume and duration of the dredging.
Dredging will be limited to the project area, including the swing basin and access channel. This is required to allow ships to approach and manoeuvre near the site prior to berthing.
As Port of Hastings has an established deep-water channel, the dredging volume and location can be contained to a small project footprint, and is intended to enable safe access for vessels.
The preferred design for the Victorian Renewable Energy Terminal has a 70% reduction to the dredging footprint (area) compared to the previous design referred in 2023 to the Commonwealth Government under the Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act.
The volume of dredging (quantity) has also been reduced by 45% compared to the previously considered Caisson Quay Wall design option.
Dredging will allow for adequate depth at the berth for vessels. The dredging depth also allows for the installation of rock at the berth area to prevent scour and provide a strong base for the jack-up legs of the offshore wind installation vessels.
Dredging of material below the quay wall may also be required to ensure a strong foundation for the quay wall.
Prior to the commencement of dredging, a comprehensive series of environmental protection controls and dedicated zones will be established. These measures are designed to safeguard local ecosystems and ensure all works are undertaken in accordance with strict regulatory requirements.
A Dredge Material Management Plan (DMMP) will guide all dredging activities. The primary objective of this plan is to ensure dredging is conducted safely and efficiently, preventing unacceptable impacts on the environment.
The DMMP serves the following functions:
Detailed information regarding the DMMP will be provided as part of the project’s Environment Effects Statement (EES) submission, allowing for public review and regulatory assessment.
Operational Controls Under Consideration:
Early planning has identified several specialised operational controls to be implemented during the construction phase:
There is a long history of dredging in Western Port. It is reported to have started in the 1870s to support the growing oyster industry. Since then, dredging and reclamation activities have continued. Up until 2025, approximately 2.75 million cubic metres had been dredged within Western Port.
Most of this material was disposed of onshore at a range of locations, including the Old Tyabb Reclamation Area. Some material was disposed offshore at a range of dredge disposal grounds across Western Port.
Dredging still occurs in Western Port for maintenance activities to ensure the safe and efficient operations of boating infrastructure such as ramps, jetties and channels. Western Port has a long history of balancing human activity and infrastructure in the region with the environment. Industrial and port operations have co-existed with the Western Port environment since the 1800s.
From our environmental assessments and long history operating in the region, we know that the Western Port environment is resilient. Our environmental assessments and field studies have evidenced to us that despite the long history of dredging in Western Port, the ecosystem and marine environment continues to flourish and function.
Dredging is the term used for removing materials from the seabed of shipping channels, ports, rivers, lakes and other waterways. The process involves excavating or collecting material from the seabed and then transporting the dredged material to a disposal site for it to be safely unloaded. Dredged material and sediment mainly consist of sand, silts, clays and rocks.
There are two main types of dredging, capital dredging and maintenance dredging.
Vessels require a certain water depth to ensure clearance from the seabed. Port and shipping channel managers need to dredge to increase or maintain the depth of the channel and berthing areas to ensure vessels can safely move through the water. Dredging is an important part of ensuring a shipping channel, berthing pocket and swing basin is safe and functional.
A backhoe dredger and several hopper barges will be used to dredge the seabed and are proposed to operate 24/7. Hopper barges will handle and transfer the dredged material from the hopper barges to the new reclamation area. All dredged material will be reused on the project site.
Based on the current design, the extent of dredging has been significantly reduced by approximately 70%, compared to the 2023 project referral submitted to the Commonwealth Government.
The project design is still subject to further design changes, however PoHC recognises the importance of reducing dredging as far as practical to minimise environmental impact.
Environmental protection controls and zones will be established prior to construction commencing on site.
In line with major construction projects that require dredging in Victoria, a Dredge Material Management plan will be prepared to ensure dredging work is carried out safely, efficiently, and without unacceptable environmental impacts.
Some operational controls have already been considered as part of the planning process including:
Water quality will continuously be monitored near sensitive receptors and near the dredging equipment. An adaptive management approach will likely be used, which set strict triggers and mitigation measures to ensure no unacceptable impacts occur.
A water-based backhoe dredger typically consists of an excavator mounted on a pontoon. The excavator is fitted with a digging bucket. To ensure stability during operation, the pontoon is anchored and its position maintained by poles.
Nowadays, backhoe dredgers are fitted with a monitoring and control system, that provides accurate visualisation and control of dredging operations. These systems maximise dredging efficiency and accuracy, increasing productivity and enhancing safety provisions, by allowing activities in close proximity to infrastructure.
These systems, coupled with regular seabed surveys that are input into the system, enable the operator to ensure safe and productive dredging.
Backhoe dredgers come in a variety of sizes and are typically selected dependent on the requirements of a particular activity.
In the case of the Terminal Project, a medium backhoe dredger is anticipated to be required, ranging typically around 50m in length.
We are in consultation with nearby port users and will continue to engage as part of planning to manage and avoid impacts to vessels in proximity to the proposed works.
The BHD and Hopper Barges will have an exclusion zone to ensure that works are undertaken safely.
