Call for new channel strategy

A town planning consultant has called on Gosford Council and the State Government to examine the causes of sand movements along the Ettalong channel and to try low-cost environmentally-friendly measures before dredging.

Wagstaffe town planning consultant Dr Helen Monks said that dredging Ettalong channel would have unpredictable, unsustainable and expensive results.

Her comments came after it was revealed that dredging was now proposed for a section of the channel near Lobster Beach, as well as near Ettalong Beach.

"The cause of movements in sandbars between Lobster and Umina-Ettalong beaches has not been publicly addressed, so any solutions seem premature (much less who should pay for them)," Dr Monks said.

"Both beaches are eroding and vulnerable to predicted sea level rises, so they need consideration in the current debate.

As operator of Highlight Consulting Integrated Town Planning and Property Services, Dr Monks said she has extensive knowledge of the location and of planning procedures having studied the sand bars for several years.

Dr Monks claimed Palm Beach Ferry Service has blasted a tertiary channel diagonally north-west from Lobster Beach to Half Tide Rocks across shifting sandbars and holes.

"As the biggest vessel and most frequent user of the channel between Little Box Head and Half Tide Rocks (about 6800 trips a year), the Palm Beach ferry does not use the primary channel along the eastern shore for two-thirds of that distance," Dr Monks said.

"It has for many years tried to blast a tertiary channel diagonally north-west from Lobster Beach to Half Tide Rocks across shifting sandbars and holes.

"In low swell and at high tide, it occasionally uses a shifting secondary channel due south from Ettalong sand spit.

"A possible consequence of the ferry's use of this new tertiary channel is movement of sand into the primary channel, which has affected other estuary users especially yachts."

According to Ms Monks, aerial photos taken 10 years apart reveal an incomplete channel across the main sand bar which did not exist 10 years ago.

"This seems to be the ferry's route of choice," Dr Monks said.

"This is not the marked, natural channel.

"The tertiary channel is not the deepest part of the estuary, so when the ferry does kiss the bottom, it must agitate the sand (as well as the passengers)."

Dr Monks suggested several free of cost, environmentally-friendly solutions.

"Solutions to be looked at include: education of the ferry company about its choices of routes and speed from Little Box Head northwards; education of waterway users about boating rules (pass to starboard, give way to commercial craft); and enforcement by NSW Maritime," Dr Monks said.

"If we get flooding rain and all boats use only the primary channel, then it will quite likely re-establish itself naturally at no cost, for the benefit of all estuary users including humans and marine fauna like dolphins.

"Dredging is not sustainable, it is expensive and as an engineering solution with an unpredictable result, it should be the last solution."

However, owner and operator of Hardy's Bay Yacht Charters Mr Kent Sheppard has urged Gosford Council to stop its "political banter" and get on with dredging after an incident at Little Box Head on February 8.

Mr Sheppard said his charted yacht Lasal, carrying eight passengers, ran aground on a sandbar near the channel entrance.

"The safety of our passengers was put at risk whilst making the journey along the chartered channel exiting the Brisbane Waters," Mr Sheppard said.

"The yacht hit hard on the silted up sand bar near the channel entrance near the lateral markers at Little Box heading out to Broken Bay.

"The passengers were jerked forward and the yacht was then spun 90 degrees and we lost all steerage.

"The vessel was then bumped sideways for a period of minutes and approximately 20 metres still side on to the swell and wind as it continued to be bumped over the valley and peaks of the sand bar.

"We hold the government responsible for the channel not being dredged despite continual request from tax-paying citizens and local councillors.

"We don't care who pays for the dredging of the entrance to the Brisbane Waters whether it be local, state or federal as we pay taxes to all three, we just want it to happen now and stop the political banter that is risking the safety of our passengers as well as the success of a local business that brings critical tourism dollars to the local business precinct in a time of economic uncertainty."

Letter, 19 Feb 2009 Helen Monks, Highlight Consulting Letter, 16 Feb 2009 Kent and Anna Sheppard, Hardy's Bay Yacht Charters