Bundy Port stays shut down
THE Bundaberg Port is still counting the cost of the floods as it remains closed to shipping traffic.
The port was closed in December as boats that had broken free of their moorings, debris and silt were swept down the Burnett River by the floodwaters.
Authorities decided the devastation made it too dangerous for shipping to enter the river.
After the first flood subsided, two survey ships used sonar to assess the river and pinpoint obstacles and siltation in the channel.
But the second wave of flooding meant the river had to be surveyed again.
The second survey found there was no appreciable change in the condition of the river after the first flood.
Port of Bundaberg general manager Jason Pascoe said the port was still closed indefinitely.
“We’re doing what we can to reopen it,” he said.
Mr Pascoe said Maritime Safety Queensland navigation aids were being sourced and would need to be placed in position in the river channel.
However, the surveys found there had been significant siltation in the river channel.
Port authorities are still trying to get a timetable in place for a dredging program.
