Jack up barge arrives at Belmont as next phase of desalination project begins

Hunter Water is pleased to announce the arrival of its jack-up barge work platform offshore from the Belmont Desalination Plant site, marking a major milestone in the marine works and tunnelling phase of this critical project to secure the Lower Hunter’s drinking water supply.

Positioned approximately 800 metres off Nine Mile Beach, the jack-up barge marks the official start of offshore construction which includes installing the direct ocean intake structure and tunnelling a pipeline beneath the seabed to deliver seawater to the onshore treatment facility.

Hunter Water’s Acting Chief Executive Officer, Jennifer Hayes, highlighted the significance of this milestone for the project, and the region.

“Now that the jack-up barge is in place, we’re progressing into the most complex and technical phase of the marine and tunnelling works, crucial to delivering a reliable, rainfall-independent drinking water source for our community.

“Working closely with our delivery partner John Holland, we’re committed to completing this work safely, with minimal disruption to beach users and marine life. We’ve been engaging with boating, recreation and coastal user groups, and will continue to keep the community informed about offshore activities, including exclusion zones and vessel movements,” Ms Hayes said.

Once operational, the Belmont Desalination Plant will be supply up to 30 million litres of drinking water per day, equivalent to around 15 per cent of the Lower Hunter’s average daily demand. By diversifying the region’s water sources and reducing reliance on dams and rainfall, the project will strengthen resilience against climate variability and drought.

Current offshore specialist contractor works include:

• Establishing the jack up barge and its pile anchored platform.

• Installing the direct ocean intake structure using precast caissons, which will be set into the seabed.

• Preparing equipment onshore to construct a tunnel beneath Nine Mile Beach and the seabed, linking the intake structure to the desalination plant.

“We selected Belmont as the site for the desalination plant because it offers the best integration with the existing water network and proximity to the ocean, as well as being a site Hunter Water already owned that will cause minimal impacts on the local community and surrounding environment.

“The marine and tunnelling works are designed to minimise impact to the environment. The intake structure has a low velocity design ensuring sea creatures avoid being drawn into the system, while the brine left from the seawater desalination process will be returned to the sea via the existing ocean outfall at the nearby wastewater treatment works,” Ms Hayes said.

Residents and visitors to Nine Mile Beach and surrounds, including boaters and sailors, may see the work platform, support vessels and crane operations offshore.

Vessel users must heed the 500 square metre exclusion zone around the offshore works to ensure safe navigation.

Hunter Water remains committed to ongoing engagement with the community, with regular project updates made available on our website: www.hunterwater.com.au/desal