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Newry, Mourne and Down District Council has begun clearing invasive weeds from previously inaccessible sections of its waterways thanks to a new specialist amphibious vehicle.
The Truxor T50, an environmentally friendly vehicle equipped with a range of interchangeable attachments, has already made a significant impact on Newry Canal since coming into service and is expected to play a major role in primary waterway maintenance going forward.
The vehicle can be fitted with attachments for cutting, dredging, raking, mowing and harvesting, allowing for precise and efficient operations on waterways and along riverbanks. It is particularly effective for cutting and removing aquatic weeds, reeds and other vegetation that can clog rivers, lakes and canals and impede water flow.
Down District Council colleagues Hugh Henry and Conor Quinn.
The lightweight vehicle has helped transform sections of Newry Canal from Dublin Bridge to Ballybot Bridge and from there to the Sugar Island Bridge section, with clearance work also completed from Sugar Island Bridge to the WIN industrial estate. A comprehensive work plan is now in place, with the council's maintenance crew focusing on Newry's six kilometre long ship canal, using deep water cutting tools to clear sections of the waterway ahead of a number of upcoming community and fishing events in the area.
Most recently, the vehicle was used to clear aggressive weed growth from the 3.5 acre Donaghaguy Reservoir in Warrenpoint, an area popular with anglers.
Newry, Mourne and Down District Council Chairperson, Councillor Glyn Hanna, said the new vehicle had been designed for a range of aquatic and wetland maintenance tasks and was already making its mark. "The new vehicle has been designed for various aquatic and wetland maintenance tasks and is making its mark. It's highly versatile and already, unsightly and invasive species across some of our waterways have been removed which is having a positive impact on not only marine life, but the local environment.
"The vehicle allows our staff to reach what were previously inaccessible and challenging areas due to the equipment they had at their disposal, but all that has changed."
Cllr Hanna said one of the key benefits of the new equipment was its positive impact beneath the waterline, with the purchase of the vehicle representing an investment in the future of the district's waterways.
