Port Philip Bay dredge set to recommence

The dredger Queen of the Netherlands has returned to Melbourne waters to complete the controversial A$1 billion deepening of Port Phillip Bay. The controversial project dredging 23 million cubic metres of rock, sand and toxic silt from the bay will allow super-sized container ships with a draught of 14m to enter the bay at all tides, up from a maximum of 12.1m now. Modifications to the vessel in Singapore have seen the dredger get a lengthened mid-ship section that has increased its carrying capacity.