Dredging delayed again

Gosford Council has again delayed dredging Ettalong channel.

It has resolved to talk with the operator of the Palm Beach Ferry and NSW Maritime about how long it will be before the channel becomes unnavigable.

It will also seek legal advice on what action it should take.

Council resolved to contribute to the cost of dredging the channel if necessary, but to seek recompense from the NSW Government.

It would also investigate the possibility of private enterprise removing excess sand from the channel on a commercial basis.

Palm Beach Ferry general manager Mr Matthew Lloyd addressed the council meeting on August 26.

Mr Lloyd told the council that more than 400,000 people, including residents, school children and tourists, had used the Palm Beach Ferry service in the past year.

He also said he feared a tragedy could occur if the work was not undertaken before summer.

"I have seen increasing numbers of vessels stranded on the sand bar and I'm afraid a death could occur if nothing is done before the peak summer season," Mr Lloyd said.

Mr Lloyd said he had already had to cancel a service on August 23.

He said cancellations would continue until the dredging was complete.

"The siltation of the Ettalong Beach channel has been an ongoing problem for decades," said Peninsula Chamber of Commerce Mainstreet coordinator Ms Debra Wales

"The current problems are nothing new," she said.

"What is needed is regular dredging which should be put into place every five years.

"This will ensure that the current problem with vessel groundings on the sandbars does not re-occur.

"There is a moral obligation on all parties to allocate the funds and get on with the work."

Ms Wales said it was her understanding that NSW Maritime "do not have a problem" with the current navigable state of the channel and had no intention to close down any commercial operators currently using these waterways, including the Palm Beach Ferry.

"Further, it is my understanding that the onus is on the commercial operator to monitor and maintain safety while it uses the waterways," Ms Wales said.

"It is not the State Government's or the council's responsibility.

Ms Wales has called on Gosford Council to match the State Government's funding and undertake the dredging works as quickly as possible with the view to finding a long-term solution for the funding of future dredging works.

"All the environmental studies have been completed to allow the dredging to commence, so let's not waste any more time.

"Put the funds in place and get the job out to tender so the works can commence," Ms Wales said.

Deputy Mayor Cr Trevor Drake said he was disappointed that Councillors failed to support his urgency motion to commence the dredging.

"We should be getting on with the job and worry about who pays at a later date," Cr Drake said.

"We already have a commitment of $250,000 from the NSW State Government which we should match immediately and stop the delay on dredging the channel.

"Ferry operations aside, the channel should always have been dredged on a regular five year cycle.

"Successive councils have put this problem in the too hard basket for too long, which has created the current situation.

"The Palm Beach Ferry operation is just a symptom of the problem that should have been fixed by council 10 years ago.

"It's not as if they weren't aware of the issue."

Peninsula Chamber of Commerce president Mr Matthew Wales said Gosford Council had undertaken major dredging works in Ettalong channel in the 1980s.

"Much of this could have been solved by ensuring that recurrent funding was made available for a regular dredging program."

Mr Wales dismissed a proposal made by Cr Laurie Maher to "sell-off" sand dredged from Ettalong channel.

"It would be a complete disaster to rob the natural system of sand," Mr Wales said.

"Taking sand from the channel and selling it off elsewhere would create a deficiency in the natural system."

Mr Wales said the sand should be recycled back into the system at Ettalong foreshore to renourish and maintain it.

Greens candidate Mr Peter Freewater said the Ettalong channel dredging was essential in maintaining safe navigation, tourism, fishing and boating access, and the environment.

Mr Freewater is a former member of the council's Coastal Estuary Management Committee that initiated plans to dredge Ettalong channel last year.

"It has always been a council responsibility to maintain navigation channels and the legislation is quite clear," Mr Freewater said.

"There is a State Environment Planning Policy (SEPP 35) that provides 50:50 funding for any maintenance dredging.

"I believe that $250,000 is a small price to pay for the safety of ferry commuters and the boating public in general.

"I am particularly concerned with the environmental impacts of stalling dredging because the constricted entrance means less tidal flushing.

"Because less water enters and leaves the estuary, the quality of water is generally lower as pollutants entering from storm water and sewage overflows are not diluted as much.

"This will impact on every aspect of the ecology of the estuary, resulting in less fish, contaminated oysters and toxic algal blooms.

"It means that swimming will be more dangerous, sediments will accumulate faster and navigation will be diminished.

"This will flow on to affect our lifestyles and the local economy as tourists go elsewhere.

"Importantly, the dredging will not impact on habitat because the material to be dredged is clean sand that has moved off the existing sand bar into the channel.

"There is no seagrass in the channel, the sand does not contain acid sulfate soils and can be moved to the far side of the shoal, towards the beach to improve the shape of the shoal for surfing."

Mr Freewater, a former council officer, said he "had everything in place" to begin the dredging in October last year.

"Council stalling and duck-shoving may mean that the work has to be reassessed because of the mobile nature of the sand.

"This will cause further delays and additional costs."

Council agenda CIT.24, 26 Aug 2008 Press release, 27 Aug 2008 Trevor Drake, Gosford Council Press release, 24 Aug 2008 Debra Wales, Peninsula Chamber of Commerce Clare Graham, 29 Aug 2008 Interviewee: Peter Freewater, The Greens Interviewee: Matthew Wales, Peninsula Chamber of Commerce