Guidelines

Dredging takes place for a number of reasons, including:

• navigation
• to maintain the depth in existing channels, ports areas and harbours
• to enlarge or deepen existing channel and port areas or to create new ones.
• create or maintain recreational boat ramps, access and depths
• to provide material for specific purposes
• for engineering purposes, to create trenches for pipes, cables and tunnels
• to bypass an artificial structure that obstructs sediment movement along the coast.

Dredging has the potential to change the marine and coastal environment by

• causing turbidity in water and increasing sedimentation on the bottom
• changes to the water temperature
• changing the chemical composition of the water and negatively affecting water quality
• creating cumulative impacts
• introduced marine pests.
• changes to bathymetry
• changes to sediment composition
• releasing nutrient elements that may trigger algal blooms
• ecological impacts from contaminants
• transporting species from one port to another.
• impacts on other users of the marine environment.

Marine and Coastal Act 2018 consent

If you plan propose to undertake any dredging on marine and coastal Crown land, you must first gain consent from the Minister or delegate under the Marine and Coastal Act 2018.

Marine and coastal Crown land is defined under Section 4 of the Marine and Coastal Act 2018. It includes Victorian coastal waters and Crown land extending 200 meters inland from highwater marks.  It incorporates the water, sea-bed and Crown land (whether or not it is covered by water) in all these areas to a depth of 200 meters below the surface. It also comprises land more than 200 meters inland of the high-water mark that has been reserved under the Crown Land (Reserves) Act 1978 for protection of the coastline.

The vision of the Marine and Coastal Policy is “a healthy, dynamic and biodiverse marine and coastal environment that is valued in its own right, and that benefits the Victorian community, now and in the future”. As such any purposed dredging needs apply the Planning and Decision Pathway in decision making as set out in the Policy.

The applicant will need to fill out a dredging application form which can be obtain from contacting your local DEECA regional office. It is also suggested that a pre-application conversation and/or site meeting with land manager and/or DEECA representative is undertaken.

Applications for all coastal waters in Victoria including the open ocean and embayment’s including Port Philip Bay, Western Port and the Gippsland Lakes, must be in line with the National Assessment Guidelines for Dredging 2009.

Under the Environment Protection Act 2017 (EP Act), the applicant has legal obligations in relation to activities, to minimise risks of harm to human health and the environment from pollution and waste. The EP Act places the onus on you to understand the risks associated with your operation or activity, and requires the applicant to minimise the risk of harm.

Other approvals

Where new dredging works occur in an area subject to a planning scheme, you will also need a planning permit.

Proposals that are likely to involve large environmental, social or economic impacts may also be subject to an Environment Effects Statement under the Environmental Effects Act 1978.

On the open coast, the dumping of dredged material, other than beach renourishment and sand bypassing operations, must satisfy the requirements of the Commonwealth Environment Protection (Sea Dumping) Act 1981, administered by the Environment Protection Group of Environment Australia.

In areas of national significance, other approvals under the Commonwealth Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 may apply.