In preparation for the start of work on the Eden wave attenuator, Transport for NSW (TfNSW) has said that all vessels, tenders and vehicles must be removed from the carpark and boatramp area, off the intersection of Albert Terrace and Imlay St.

The boatramp and carpark will be closed from November 1 until the project’s completion – which could be a year. However all owners are being told to relocate vessels, tenders and vehicles in Snug Cove by October 1 as any remaining property will be removed.

TfNSW has also said that construction of the attenuator will require some swing mooring sites in Snug Cove to be permanently relocated.

The announcement heralding the start of work on the attenuator, following the contract award to Austral Construction in July, has been positively received by the Port of Eden Marina (POEM) members who have campaigned for the attenuator for several years.

“It’s a relief to see it happening after some 10-11 years since we started campaigning for it. I don’t think any of us thought it would take this long,” POEM member Rob Bain said.

Rear commodore of the Twofold Yacht Club Robin Arthur, also a POEM member, said they had yet to resolve how and where tenders could be based for boat owners in Snug Cove.

The Quarantine Bay boat ramp and car park will remain open throughout construction of the attenuator but Mr Arthur said that travelling from Quarantine Bay in a small tender wasn’t necessarily the safest option.

“The ramp near the Middle Wharf would need a bit of a clean up and there might be parking and turning issues. The other possibility is to launch from the Cattle Bay area, although it’s a fairly limited space,” Mr Arthur said.

TfNSW said an exclusion zone would be established within Snug Cove to maintain the safety of port users and staff working on site.

To construct the wave attenuator, two jack-up barges will be used. These are heavy-duty marine construction platforms which are purpose-built for working in challenging marine environments. The majority of materials will be prefabricated off-site.

Major site works, including the installation of steel piles and precast concrete, will commence in early 2022.

Construction is expected to be complete by late 2022, depending on the weather.

This article was published in the Eden Magnet on 22 Sept 2021