A spudded barge with a crane on board is going to become a familiar sight as the port capital dredging programme continues.

The spuds are the posts near the corners of the barge which attach the barge to the harbour floor, giving the digger some grip as it removes material from the harbour floor.

The barges and digger working near Sulphur Point. Photo: Bruce Barnard.

While it's currently working near the south end of the Sulphur Point wharf, port engineer Rowan Johnsone says it will be moved about the harbour as work requires.

"It's mostly picking up the bits in the corners that the trailer suction dredges miss on their turns."

The bulk of the Port of Tauranga's $50 million capital dredging programme is being undertaken by the two dredges, the Brage R, and Balder R, belonging to Danish company Rohde Nielsen.

The dredging programme is widening and deepening the port shipping channels from 12.9 metres to 14.5 metres inside the harbour and 15.8 metres outside the harbour.

The dredging work represents the final building block in the Port's five year $350 million capital expenditure programme in placing Port of Tauranga as the New Zealand port to become a big ship capable hub port and making freight savings for exporters and importers provided by larger, more efficient vessels.