Dredging Program

Port of Melbourne has ongoing dredging obligations to ensure the safe passage of ships visiting the port.

Below is information on our most recent dredging programs.

2022 Works – response to heavy rainfall events

In October 2022 Port of Melbourne conducted a brief sweeping program involving the targeting of selected areas of seabed in the port that were less than the maintained depth for shipping at that location. The material was “swept” into adjacent areas of deeper water using a steel bar suspended from the stern of the tug Molly Grace; very similar to a grader operation during road works. These works were undertaken in response to increased sediment deposition at the mouth of the Maribyrnong River after the recent heavy rainfall events.

The works are expected to commence on or about 24 October 2022 for a duration of approximately one week.

The Notice to Mariners for the works can be found here and location of the sweeping works here.