The vessel – a Backacter (BA) 900 christened Woomera – makes it possible to excavate hard material like rock and clay in confined locations.
Cameron Hall, CEO of dredging and civil construction company Hall Contracting, said prior to purchasing the Woomera, the business’ dredging fleet had been comprised solely of cutter suction dredges, which pump material to a discharge location as opposed to excavating it.
“This dredge will enable us to undertake a more diverse range of projects as we continue to expand our presence both in Australia and internationally,” Mr Hall said.
“As an Australian contractor, it’s great to be able to compete with the European dredging companies on works requiring both a large backhoe dredge and large cutter suction dredge.”
Mr Hall said his team was preparing for Woomera to undertake its first job since joining Australian waters.
“The dredge will be officially unveiled in Brisbane this week, and relocated to Cairns soon after to assist in widening and deepening the Trinity Inlet shipping channel,” he said.
“We expect Woomera will commence works in July, and we look forward to showcasing her capabilities.
“We’re excited by the versatility the dredge’s 10m3, 13m3 and 18m3 bucket attachments offer, and will be putting these to good use in the coming weeks.”
Spanning a massive 65 metres in length, Woomera was designed in the Netherlands and can dredge depths of up to 26 metres.
To find out more, click here to view the Woomera specification sheet.
