Community group to discuss silt problem

The Bays Community Group is expected to discuss the silting of Horsfield Bay following an increase in recent months.

Horsfield Bay residents and Community Group members are expected to raise concerns at a meeting on December 19 over the slow disappearance of the bay due to silt.

The bay has been reduced in size by a third, according to one resident.

"Two silt traps built to collect silt from washing down into the Bay during the initial road and housing development have only been cleaned out once, and another one twice, in the past five years," Ms Bev Watson said.

"Local residents ask why the three silt traps were built if they were not to be regularly cleaned out," she said.

"Any collected silt just washes out into the Bay in subsequent heavy rain defeating their intended purpose."

Ms Watson said that Cr Malcolm Brooks, who at the time was the mayor, was quoted in a letter dated April 2005 stating that "they are now on a permanent maintenance schedule and will be cleaned more frequently" and "Council agrees that proper maintenance of these silt traps is needed to prevent sediments from entering Horsfield Bay".

Ms Watson said that an inspection to the Bays area last year by the mayor Cr Laurie Maher, other councillors and council officials, including the drainage engineer, resulted in promises to set in motion a regular process to clean out the silt traps to save the silt from washing into the bay.

"As recently as November 8, following heavy rains, the council environmental officer was alarmed enough by the devastation coming from a building site in Gabagong Rd to issue fines to the builder responsible," Ms Watson said.

"No further action followed from council to clear the silt traps which were once again full.

"Naturally, residents were horrified as they watched the yellow silt pour into Horsfield Bay again on Saturday, December 1, when heavy rains returned."

Ms Watson said that a council officer available on a Saturday was not in a position to contact any of the council staff responsible for the problem.

"He took photos of the devasting scene and unsuccessfully tried to contact the builder," Ms Watson said.

"Other neighbours questioned the stability of the rock face on the building site as most of the soil between the rocks is now in the Bay.

"Do any of our local councillors or council officers care about our environment?

"We wonder if they do.

"The damage they are allowing to continue is irreversible and soon Horsfield Bay will become the suburb of Horsfield!"

The issue will be discussed at the Bays Community meeting on December 19 at 7.30pm, with all residents invited to attend.

Email, 3 Dec 2007 Bev Watson, Bays Community Group