No plan for Dundee Beach boat ramp redesign despite $300k a year upkeep costs

THE Government has no plans to redesign the Dundee Beach boat ramp despite forking out more than $294,000 to remove sand there each year

After the $4.4 million dollar upgrade to the Dundee Beach boat ramp vehicles are still getting bogged at low tide, as in this photo taken in 2017. Picture: Facebook/Chad Cragan

THE Government has no plans to redesign the Dundee Beach boat ramp despite forking out more than $294,000 to remove sand there each year.

The $4.4 million boat ramp was upgraded in 2016 but it continues to be plagued with bogging issues due to the huge amounts of sand being washed up on the ramp.

Dundee Beach boat ramp is the second most popular ramp in the Greater Darwin area, with an average of 13 vessels launching each week day.

The upgraded boat ramp at Dundee Beach pictured on the day it was officially opened in 2016

The Department of Infrastructure, Planning and Logistics recently awarded a $294,419 contract to Piening Holdings to remove sand at the boat ramp for 2020, commencing next month.

A spokesman from the department said the company would regularly remove sand at the ramp to ensure it was safe to use for tide levels above 2.5 metres LAT.

“At this time there are no repair works required on the ramp,” he said.

“The department is undertaking a study to investigate if there are better long-term solutions to manage the sand.

“Monitoring of sand movements is under way and the study is not expected to be completed until late 2020.”

The sand issues at the new Dundee boat ramp emerged only months after it was completed in December 2016.

At the time former MLA Ken Vowles, who was then the Minister for Primary Industry and Resources, blamed the former CLP government for building a “bargain basement” boat ramp.

“You spend $4.5 million of taxpayers money, you want a facility that is going to be safe,” Mr Vowles said.

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“What we’ve seen is not entirely safe, it hasn’t been entirely all tidal access and we need to address that.”

The Piening Holdings sand removal tender require them to remove sand located on the boat ramp deck and shoulders below 1m LAT and between the rock groyne and the concrete ramp western bat.

The government also spent $168,112 for a new car park at the Dundee boat ramp in 2017