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Gold Coast Waterways Authority (GCWA) commissioned to the preparation of the Dredge Material Management and Placement Plan and the Biggera Creek Dredging Yellow Zone Management Plan. These documents address the design, approval process, permit requirements and environmental management associated with dredging activities within Biggera Creek. Biggera Creek is located in Biggera Waters on the Gold Coast, QLD. The creek joins the Broadwater and is situated north-west of Wave Break Island and the Gold Coast Seaway. The creek is surrounded by high density residential development, with a large portion of the houses adjoining the creek having established pontoons for private use. The purpose of dredging Biggera Creek is to maintain navigational access, with subsequent dredged material to provide foreshore nourishment for recreational amenity and to assist with mitigating shoreline erosion.
Ecobalance was commissioned to undertake water quality monitoring activities including:
A number of recommendations were developed for future water quality monitoring programs including: collecting turbidity data directly prior to the dredging activity and that turbidity levels monitored during dredging are assessed every 48 hours and used to guide dredging stand-by times. The use of turbidity curtains or silt curtains could also be considered to assist with localising the impacts of turbidity pluming. Conducting a seagrass health and GIS mapping assessment could also validate potential impacts from dredging on surrounding seagrass habitat.
