Backhoe Dredging

Heron Construction specialise in backhoe dredging.

We own and operate three backhoe dredges (BHD) -  Machiavelli, Kimahia and Combi.

The Machiavelli is the largest of Heron Construction's backhoe dredges; she was built in 2005 by De Donge in Turkey and towed to New Plymouth for the Port Taranaki Capital Dredging Project. Machiavelli has completed an ocean outfall in Christchurch, and capital and maintenance dredging in New Plymouth, Tauranga, Timaru and Lyttelton. In 2010 she was mobilised to Newcastle Australia and since then has dredged in Sydney, Geelong and Melbourne.

Kimahia is predominantly based in New Zealand after completing capital and maintenance dredging for New Zealand ports and wharf and outfall infrastructure projects, after having successfully completing dredging projects in Newcastle, Australia and Rarotonga in the Cook Islands.

Combi is a small demountable backhoe dredge that can be setup in several configurations. Combi can be configured to have a 30 tonne longreach excavator to load hopper barges, or with a 20 tonne longreach excavator to dredge and carry up to 100m³ for material - this configuration is ideally set up for marina maintenance dredging. The size of the Combi’s pontoons mean that this backhoe dredge can be readily transports to inland water and shipped overseas for smaller dredging projects. Combi has completed dredging projects in Suva, Fiji as well as Tau and Ofu in American Samoa.

Heron Construction has a team of dedicated and experienced superintendent’s, operators, masters and engineers who manage, supervise and operate our fleet of backhoe dredges, tugs and barges.