Work begins on Tweed River entrance

One of the biggest ever projects for our waterways has just begun.

Dredging will take place at the Tweed River mouth in the coming weeks.

DREDGING of sand from the Tweed River entrance began last week as part of the ongoing Tweed Sand Bypassing project.

Tweed MP Geoff Provest said about 150,000 cubic metres of sand would be dredged from the river entrance over six to eight weeks to maintain a clear channel for boating.

"Maintaining a clear and safe entrance to the Tweed River is crucial for both commercial and recreational boating, and to support the fantastic coastal lifestyle which is an integral part of our region's identity," he said.

"This dredging protects the economic viability of the region. It allows commercial fishermen to navigate the river to make their living, and provides tourism operators, commercial yachts and other recreational water users continued safe passage."

Mr Provest said the Tweed Sand Bypassing Project, which has been ongoing since 2001, is a joint initiative of the NSW and Queensland Governments together with financial contributions from the City of Gold Coast.

"It involves the permanent sand bypass jetty at Letitia Spit which collects naturally drifting sand that would otherwise accumulate at the river entrance.

"The dredging that gets underway now is further periodic work to remove sand that has naturally bypassed the jetty and has collected in the Tweed River entrance.

"The dredged sand from the entrance is relocated offshore of Duranbah Beach and the southern Gold Coast beaches.

"Some dredged sand will also be deposited offshore of Tugun/Bilinga and possibly Fingal. Use of these two new dredge delivery locations is addressing community concerns regarding more even distribution of sand.

"The Tweed Sand Bypassing project aims to keep the Tweed River Entrance navigable and deliver a long-term average of 500,000 cubic meters of sand each year to maintain the health of the Coast's beaches."