The Otago Yacht Club is to dredge the entrance to the boat harbour and dump 2500cu m of dredgings to the east of the Otago University Rowing Club's building and up to 3500cu m at four other potential sites nearby.
The Dunedin City Council's community development committee this week approved the dumping of the dredged materials in the area, which is a council reserve.
The entrance to the inner boat harbour periodically needs dredging due to silt build-up. It was last dredged in 1995 and the dredgings were dumped in the Otago Boat Harbour Recreation Reserve in Magnet St.
Since then, a management plan has been adopted for the reserve, which prevents disposal of dredgings without the council's approval.
A report to councillors said the dredged materials would be used east of the rowing club for landscaping purposes as part of a combined effort between the yacht club and the Dunedin Rotary Club, which had plans to further landscape the land along the shared path to Ravensbourne, including installation of picnic facilities, interpretive signage and outdoor fitness.
That site was acceptable because of Rotary's plans, but further investigation of the other sites was needed before a final decision on them was made.
