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Hydrographic surveying teams and the dredging fleet from the Port of Brisbane Pty Ltd (PBPL) managed to survey the channel and berths in just five days, to allow the Harbour Master to safely reopen the port for shipping. PBPL Managing Director, Alistair Baillie, said the teams had to work under very difficult conditions and significant time pressures. “As Queensland’s principal diversified cargo port, reopening the Port of Brisbane was an absolutely critical step in restoring the supply chain and enabling the delivery of critical fuel and other commodities,” Mr Baillie said. “Since Sunday our surveyors have covered 1,000 hectares and identified 62 sunken objects within port limits, and as of today we have removed all critical obstructions. “Our crews are continuing to work with Maritime Safety Queensland, the Navy, other commercial contractors and community groups in clearing remaining debris from the port and river areas. “It’s been full steam ahead for port operations since shipping resumed on Monday, and the terminal operators have been working non-stop to process vessels as efficiently as possible.” Fast facts: • Port of Brisbane surveyors covered 10km2 in the port area in the week since the floods. • It took over 600 man hours to collect and rapidly process the survey data. • 1.5 billion soundings have blitzed the seabed since the flood using our state-of-the-art multibeam sounding sonar systems. • We detected 62 seabed objects/obstructions within port limits, and 60 will have been removed by our vessels by the end of today. Among the objects removed were: o large trees, branches and stumps o boats and yachts o wheelie bins o box piling o concrete mooring blocks and mooring buoys o 44 gallon drums o metal gangways o timber piles. • We have surveyed all 38 berths in the port, and re-surveyed 10 after objects were removed. • Other reaches of the river and channel have now been surveyed multiple times to ensure vessels can continue to berth safely. Port of Brisbane Pty Ltd, press release |
Port of Brisbane back in business after floods