The Entrance Channel Dredging Program 2026

What are we doing?

The commencement of the dredging project followed the June 2025 Council meeting resolution to allocate $1.2 million to fund dredging to support flood preparedness and reduce flood impacts in the Tuggerah Lakes Estuary.

Council commenced dredging works at The Entrance Channel on 16 February 2026. The program was completed in April 2026 and achieved the following objectives:

• realigned and widened the channel
• provided sand for beach nourishment
• improved access around Karagi Spit and the reserve carpark

These works will also supported migratory Little Tern habitat by widening the area used by these threatened species in breeding season.
 

How we are managing environmental harm

Council is committed to protecting the ecological health of the estuary. To undertake dredging Council must gain the necessary approvals from the NSW Government to ensure the operations are undertaken in the most environmentally friendly manner and that measures are put in place to prevent environmental harm.

These approvals include an Environment Protection Licence 3200 (EPL3200) issued by the NSW Environmental Protection Authority (NSW EPA) under the Protection of the Environment Operations Act 1997 (POEO Act). One of the conditions of the licence is to monitor water quality during dredging activities to ensure there is no negative impact on the environment.

Councils EPL 3200 stipulates that water quality monitoring is to occur daily between 1 hour and 6 hours of the dredge commencing and is be sampled 50 metres downstream from dredge (EPA Point 1), as well as 50 metres from the discharge to water site or beach nourishment site (EPA Point 3). These samples are not to exceed the concentration limits specified in the following table:

Council has also prepared a range of documentation to support the dredging campaign including the Review of Environmental Factors (REF), Pollution Incident Response Management Plan (PIRMP) and Construction Environmental Management Plan (CEMP), as well as obtained a Crown Licence (#3683371) and Fisheries Permit (PN18/67).
 

Water quality monitoring data (EPL3200)

Please find latest monitoring data from 2026 dredging program in the below table.

Dredging History

Council has been dredging The Entrance channel since 1993, with past campaigns differing slightly in scope, frequency and purpose as management approaches evolved. Before 2009 dredging occurred roughly every 12 months whereas updated environmental requirements set out in the Review of Environmental Factors (REF) has resulted in a change in the way dredging is conducted and thus a longer time between dredging programs.

Detailed assessments now lead to fewer, more focused campaigns conducted every two to three years.  

Recent programs such as those in 2015, 2018 and in 2020–21 have included significant beach nourishment works, use of advanced surveys (hydrographic, drone, LiDAR), and enhanced environmental monitoring to meet modern regulatory standards. Each campaign responds to the environmental conditions and community needs of its time, meaning objectives vary slightly depending on whether the priority is flood mitigation, sand management, beach nourishment, environmental protection or recovery from storm and flood events.