Lakes Entrance Sand Management Program Independent Review Panel Overview Assessment

Abstract

Lakes Entrance has been an operational port for over 100 years, with a trained entrance being constructed during the late 1800s and completed in 1889. For most of the time since then, the entrance has been navigable without major dredging being required. By the 1970s, it was clear that sand build-up at the entrance needed to be controlled and the April Hamer was commissioned in 1977 and, along with the implementation of internal channel dredging and sand transfer systems, has maintained the entrance navigability for some time. It is now apparent that the current approach to channel maintenance is not adequate for the future development of the port, and the Lakes Entrance Sand Management Program has been implemented to deliver a new approach most likely involving the replacement of the April Hamer and an upgrade of the sand transfer system. A range of studies have been undertaken by a number of engineering and project management consultants, and along with other documents prepared by Gippsland Ports these studies form the body of work which has been reviewed in this report.