New Amphibious Vehicle Enhancing Council Waterway Maintenance

The purchase of a specialist amphibious vehicle is allowing Newry, Mourne and Down District Council to make inroads into removing invasive weeds from previously inaccessible areas at a number of its waterways, helping transform the aquatic environment.

The new environmentally friendly Truxor T50 vehicle has already made a significant impact after it came into service and will continue to make a major contribution to primary waterway maintenance going forward.

Equipped with a range of attachments that can be swapped to perform various tasks, such as cutting, dredging, raking, mowing and harvesting, the vehicle’s versatility allows for precise and efficient operations, especially on waterways and alongside riverbanks.

The Truxor is particularly effective for cutting and removing aquatic weeds, reeds and other vegetation that can clog rivers, lakes and canals, impeding water flow.

The lightweight-designed vehicle has helped transform sections of Newry Canal from Dublin bridge to Ballybot bridge and from there to the Sugar Island bridge section. Clearance work has also been completed from Sugar Island bridge to the WIN industrial estate.

A comprehensive work plan is in place with the Council’s maintenance crew focusing on Newry’s six kilometre long ship canal, utilising deep water cutting tools to clear sections of the waterway ahead of a series of upcoming community and fishing events in the area.

Most recently, the vehicle was utilised to successfully clear and remove aggressive weed growth from the 3.5 acre Donaghaguy Reservoir in Warrenpoint which is particularly popular with anglers.

Newry, Mourne and Down District Council Chairperson, Councillor Glyn Hanna said, “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 aspects of the new equipment is its positive impact on what’s happening beneath the waterline, with the purchase of the new vehicle representing an investment in the future of the district’s waterways.