Eden Safe Harbour Project

Our team will be on site on Thursday 26 January between 8am and 6pm to continue with work on the Eden Safe Harbour Project.

We will implement some temporary measures to minimise noise and ensure access is maintained for the community on the public holiday. These measures include no pile hammering, no heavy truck deliveries to site, and ensuring project vessel movements do not interfere with recreational and commercial vessels within the port area.

The Eden Safe Harbour Project’s major works are well underway. The wave attenuator is now clearly visible in Snug Cove, Eden, with two thirds of the concrete headstocks installed. Our construction team have been busy preparing for this next stage of works to ensure the smooth flow of work once it starts.

Find out more in our December 2022 Project Update. (PDF, 3.65 MB)

A Review of Environmental Factors (REF) was placed on public display between 16 November 2017-19 January 2018 for community and stakeholder comments. The REF assessed potential environmental issues that may arise as a result of the project and included an assessment of flora, fauna, water and air quality and Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal cultural heritage.

During the public exhibition period of the REF, we received a total of 15 submissions from various stakeholders including:

• Nine regulatory agencies.
• One organisation – two submissions.
• Four community members.

A Response to Submissions (RTS) report and Addendum REF were prepared in early 2018 that considered feedback received during public exhibition of the REF and include a range of mitigation measures to be applied during the construction phase to ensure the project does not cause a significant environmental impact.

In August 2018, the Department of Planning, Industry and Environment self-determined the project under Part 5 of the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979.

Community feedback was integral to the development and delivery of the Eden Safe Harbour project. Engagement with the community, businesses and other stakeholders has been ongoing since November 2017.

Community engagement will continue throughout construction of the Eden Safe Harbour project.

Engagement activities completed so far included letterbox drops, email updates, community information sessions, meetings, start of work notifications, information station at the Eden Welcome Centre and one-on-one telephone conversations with the community. The project team met regularly with key stakeholders including Bega Valley Shire Council, Local Aboriginal Land Council, emergency services, local schools, businesses, community groups and residents.

On 14 March 2022 Transport for NSW and our contactor, Austral Pty Ltd, held a Cultural Empathy Experience training delivered by the Eden Local Aboriginal Land Council (LALC). The training consisted of a Welcome to Country, smoking ceremony, presentation, experiential activities, Q&A and a debrief.

The Cultural Empathy Training is designed to give participants a meaningful and empathetic understanding of Aboriginal Culture and Aboriginal people. Feedback received by both our project teams was overwhelmingly positive. Team members enjoyed how the themes and concepts were reinforced with team building activities.

The Welcome to Country and the smoking ceremony acknowledges the importance of continuing to deeply embed and recognise the role of Aboriginal stewardship in the continuing use of this historic land and sea project site.

The Eden Safe Harbour Project has employed members from the Eden LALC and the Twofold Aboriginal Corporation to form part of the construction team. Transport’s Reconciliation Action Plan initiatives focus on meaningful community engagement, which aims to improve the participation of Aboriginal people and businesses through employment opportunities and upskilling throughout the Eden Safe Harbour Project.

Our contractor, Austral Pty Ltd, engaged marine biologists and ecologists from Blue Planet Marine to develop and deliver Marine Mammal Observer Training for our project team specific to the Eden harbour area. The interactive training was delivered in April over two days in Eden, comprising of theory and practical components, local marine species, references to project specific procedures for piling works and environmental legislation requirements.

• How can I stay up-to-date on the latest information during construction?

  We will send regular updates to the community to keep you up to date on the progress of the project.

  Covid-19 has shifted community engagement strategies towards an online format. Let us know how you would like to stay up to date on the project by completing the survey below.

  Visit nswroads.work/edenengagement or alternatively please call our community hotline on 1800 497 190 (during business hours).

  Please note that the communications preference survey will be ongoing throughout the entire project.

  You can also find our key community updates, copies of postcards and contact information at the Eden Welcome Centre. The Eden Safe Harbour project will have an information station on display throughout the entire construction process.

  • Address: Snug Cove, Weecoon St, Eden NSW 2551
  • Email: info@visiteden.nsw.au
  • Call: (02) 6496 1953
  • Website: visiteden.com.au/
• When did construction of the wave attenuator start and when will it finish – and what progress is being made?

  We will be installing the wave attenuator, including piling and concrete work, from late November 2021 to early 2023, excluding public holidays, weather and tides permitting.

  To construct the wave attenuator, two jack-up barges will be used. These are heavy duty marine construction platforms which are purpose-built for working in challenging marine environments.

  The majority of materials will be prefabricated off-site and delivered by road and/or water for installation on site.

  Road deliveries are estimated to be one to two heavy vehicles per day during the delivery phase. It is estimated that on average there would be one to two barge deliveries per day.

• Will access to the harbour be impacted during construction?

  Yes, an exclusion zone will be established within Snug Cove to maintain the safety of port users and staff working on site. Port operations within snug cove will be impacted and some disruption may occur. We will continue to work with the Port Authority NSW to minimise disruption during this time and continue to keep the community and operators updated.

  Access will also be restricted to Thompson’s Point Baths during construction.

  The commercial boat ramp and car park within Snug Cove will be closed during construction and re-opened when the wave attenuator is complete. The Quarantine Bay boat ramp and car park will remain open throughout construction of the attenuator.

  The Mooring Jetty will remain closed until the first quarter of 2023. Until this time there will be no berthing facilities for visiting vessels in the area.

• What will the work schedule be like?
  We will be installing the wave attenuator, including piling and concrete work, from late November 2021 to late 2022, excluding public holidays, weather permitting. Our work hours will be between 7am and 6pm from Mondays to Fridays and 8am to 1pm on Saturdays.
• How will our work affect you?
  Our work may be noisy at times but we will do everything we can to minimise its impact, including keeping within our permitted work hours, notifying residents before work starts near their property and providing respite periods. The work will involve piling, truck deliveries, concrete works and marine vessel movements.
• What is a wave wall/wave attenuator?

  A fixed wave wall is a permanent structure that is installed to calm wave activity in the cove, provide a safe harbour for local and visiting vessels, and protect maritime infrastructure..

• What is the Maritime Infrastructure Plan?

  Eden has been identified as one of the strategically significant locations outlined in the Maritime Infrastructure Plan (MIP). The MIP is a strategic plan that guides future investments in maritime infrastructure, to deliver the greatest benefits to recreational boaters, commercial fishers, and the tourism industry. The Plan also supports Future Transport 2056 priorities on safety, accessibility and successful places – by enabling safe access to waterways, a growing economy and public amenity. This includes the Maritime Safety Plan 2017 21 and the important role of infrastructure as part of a Safe Systems approach to boating safety. The Eden Safe Harbour Project will contribute to achieving the objectives set out in these plans and will provide benefits to the local area of Eden associated with improved maritime infrastructure.

• Is Government going to build a Marina?

  The NSW Government’s Maritime Infrastructure Plan identifies Eden as a critical investment location to support the commercial fishing industry, tourism and recreational boating visitation in NSW. The Eden Safe Harbour Project, which includes the construction of a 366-metre wave attenuator, is the first step in improving the harbour’s infrastructure to improve maritime safety, reliability and accessibility for all users. Transport are now seeking Expressions of Interest from private investors to develop and operate a mixed-use marina development in the Snug Cove Maritime Precinct within the Port of Eden. More information can be located on the project webpage.

• When did work start on the Mooring Jetty and what progress is being made?

  Works on the Mooring Jetty started in late July 2022 and should be in completed in early 2023. It will provide infrastructure for vessel owners that is safer and more modern.

  The contractor, Austral Pty Ltd, has started on the fender pile replacement for the Mooring Jetty. The lower-level landing and all 109 timber piles will be removed and replaced with steel piles.

  The structurally sound sections of the Mooring Jetty will progressively be removed over the coming weeks and reused in other Maritime NSW projects. Several sites further up the NSW coast have been earmarked to receive the sections of timber for use in dilapidated areas that are in need of replacement.

  Replacing the fender piles on the mooring jetty will provide safer mooring locations for recreational and fishing vessels for many years to come.

• What steps are being taken to minimise the impact of the Eden Safe Harbour project on marine life?

  Minimising the impact of this project on the marine habitat and marine life is of critical importance to Transport for NSW. Maintaining a safe marine environment is a top priority.

  We will remain extra cautious as the whale migration season draws to a close in early November.

  The Eden Safe Harbour Project has dedicated marine mammal observers on site watching out for inquisitive whale and dolphin activity within 2km of our operations in Twofold Bay. If these marine mammals enter our project areas, we will stop work piling until whales or dolphins have left the project area.

  Prior to starting the Mooring Jetty work, a team of marine biologist divers was engaged to ensure any seahorses living amongst the timber structure foundations were relocated to a safe location within Snug Cove.

  A total of eight seahorses were collected and relocated to their new home within Snug Cove. No harm occurred to any of the animals. The biologists confirmed all eight were all coloured variants of the Pot Belly Seahorse species.

• What steps are being taken to minimise the impact of works on the local community?

  We understand the Port of Eden is a busy area and that it’s important other water users can continue with their normal operations. Transport for NSW is committed to ensuring that any future development of the precinct minimises disruption to existing businesses operating in Snug Cove.

  We’ll have a site compound west of the Mooring Jetty (aka The Skinny Jetty).

  We’ll minimise disruption by keeping within our restricted work zones which will be clearly marked with buoys and our land- based operations will be fenced off within our site boundaries.

  To reduce the impact on the local community, machines and vehicles will be turned off when they are not in use.

  Work hours will be between 7am and 6pm from Monday to Friday and 8am to 5pm on Saturday.

  We’ll implement some temporary traffic controls for the safety of road users, pedestrians and workers.

  Access for construction vehicles will be along council approved routes, including Princes Highway, Imlay Street, Albert Terrace and Weecoon Street.

  We are advising all to please keep to speed limits, follow signs and traffic controllers’ directions at all times. Traffic changes may affect travel times

• October 2021 Start of work (PDF, 3.01 MB)

• December 2022 project update (PDF, 3.65 MB)
• May 2022 project update (PDF, 1.45 MB)
• January 2022 project update (PDF, 1.73 MB)
• July 2020 project update (PDF, 728.81 KB)

• August 2022 Addendum review of environmental factors (PDF, 963.46 KB)
• July 2022 Addendum review of environmental factors (PDF, 1003.86 KB)
• August 2018 Addendum review of environmental factors (PDF, 17.88 MB)
• April 2018 Submissions Report  (PDF, 2.46 MB)

• January 2022 - Wave wall work ramps up to improve safety in the Port of Eden
• October 2020 - Tenders called for Eden Safe Harbour Project