More than 60 public submissions were received by the Otago
Regional Council by late yesterday on Port Otago's proposed
$100 million channel-deepening project, with more expected by
mail and email over the weekend.
Port Otago has applied for consent to widen and deepen about
13km of upper harbour channel from Port Chalmers to alongside
the salt marshes opposite Taiaroa Head, which would involve
moving and dumping about about 7.2 million cu m of sand and
silt at sea.
It was understood of the 60 submissions so far, about
one-third supported the application while two-thirds did not.
Port Otago has said the dredging and dumping, totalling
potentially 110 days over several years, would cause only
minor effects, but some user groups are understood to be
raising concerns about sediment suspended in the water; the
resultant plume at sea from dumping and any effects of
sediment build-up on the seabed and coastline.
The project is in preparation to allow the passage of larger
container ships to Port Chalmers in the near future.
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