Stockton Beach will be getting a welcome dumping of sand next month as part of efforts to fix the badly eroded stretch of coastline.
The Department of Regional NSW Public Works unit has awarded the contract to RN Dredging who will deliver the first 100,000 cubic metres of sand. That first lot of sand will be dredged from Newcastle Harbour and then sprayed into the water at the southern end of Stockton Beach.
Sections of the beach may be closed while the spraying is underway and a 200-metre exclusion zone will also be placed around the dredger while work is being carried out.
The initial phase of work is costing $6.2 million to tackle coastal erosion in the area.
Minister for the Hunter, Yasmin Catley said this initial work is just the start with the next steps including progressing investigations into the longer-term sources of potential sand reserves and a delivery plan for the $21 million election commitment.
“This is great news for the people of Stockton who have been waiting a long time to see this kind of real action.
“The community should take heart that this government isn’t just talking about the problem, it is doing something about it. We have a dredging vessel that’s weeks away from delivering the first placement of sand as investigations continue into longer term solutions.”