Eden wave wall nears completion, will provide 'safe harbour that was promised'

Construction of the wave wall at Eden has almost finished. Photo: NSW Government.

The construction of the wave wall at Eden is expected to be finished within days.

The town’s 366-metre wave attenuator was due to be completed this month and the NSW Government has hailed it as marking another major milestone in the transformation of the Port of Eden.

Construction for the attenuator, built at Snug Cove to muffle the impact of wave activity and protect boats and other maritime infrastructure, began early last year.

However, Bega Valley Shire Mayor Russell Fitzpatrick said the harbour’s wharf extension, attenuator and future marina had been talked about since 2010 and it was great to see the project get to this stage.

He said construction on the wave wall was still ongoing, but it was “very close” to completion with the last piece for the project having been shipped to the town in the past week.

He said the wall would deliver “the safe harbour that was promised”.

NSW Minister for Transport David Elliott said the design for the $32 million wall was developed based on extensive site-specific wave data, weather history, environmental and geotechnical conditions plus ship and vessel simulations.

“The purpose of the wave attenuator is to deliver a safe harbour for commercial boats, private vessels and maritime infrastructure by providing protection from high winds and wave conditions,” he said.

“Providing a safer harbour will not only enhance Eden’s reputation as a first-class boating destination but will also stimulate local investment in the community’s maritime and tourism sectors and boost the local economy.”

Mayor Fitzpatrick said once the marina was built, the wave wall would protect the boats that moor there.

“It will drive jobs and employment in the area,” he said of the future marina.

“It changes Eden into a tourist town. Long-term it’ll be a great outcome for Eden.”

The marina will provide a boost for the local economy, he said, and one could look at marinas in Gippsland or Bermagui to see the impact they had on their towns.

“You can see all the big boats in Bermagui going fishing straight out of the harbour,” he said.

He said Eden could become “the spot to be” for recreational fishers.

Expressions of interest for the construction of the marina closed in late February and will be assessed to determine who will build it.

The heavy-duty marine construction equipment and materials needed to build the wave wall include a 400-tonne jack-up barge, a 270-tonne crane, 127 piles and 59 precast concrete panels.