The extra flow created by very high tides late last week has carved a considerable chunk off the sand build-up in the Whakatāne River channel, adjacent to ‘The Lady on the Rock'.

The Council's Harbour team took measurements on Monday with the minimum depth at the bar being 1.3m – this is unchanged from last week.

'The Council is now looking to replace the beacon removed last week to create additional manoeuvring space in the narrowest section of the channel, adjacent to the sand build-up,” says a statement from the Council.

The Council's channel maintenance resource consent allows for a start to dredging activities from December 1.

This will allow any shallowing in the channel to be targeted by bucket dredging and/or sand-jetting on outgoing tides.