Ettalong channel makes talkback radio

The issue of the dredging of the Ettalong Channel has been the subject of discussion on Sydney talkback radio.

Radio station 2GB talkback host Mr Ray Hadley interviewed Peninsula Chamber of Commerce president Mr Matthew Wales and NSW Minister for Lands Mr Paul Toole.

In both interviews, Central Coast Council was portrayed as "stubborn" and "sabotaging solutions to end a navigational disaster".

Mr Wales was interviewed on March 15.

"It has been a good decade and the problem has only just progressively got worse particularly over the past six months," Mr Wales said

"It has now got to the point where the channel at the entry to Brisbane Water has narrowed down to as little as six metres and at low tide you have barely got half a metre of clearance under vessels," he said.

"The Central Coast Council has just been procrastinating about this issue for so long and effectively walking away from its obligations," he said.

Mr Wales told Mr Hadley Palm Beach ferries had recently cancelled 15 services over four days because the channel was deemed to be unsafe.

Mr Toole joined Mr Hadley on air on March 21.

"I wrote a letter to them at the end of last week which they would have received, reminding them of their responsibility," Mr Toole said.

"We've got another round of funding that is going to open in April of this year, and I'm encouraging the Central Coast Council to actually apply for that funding because I've got other Councils, like for example on the mid coast who are applying for that funding and they're doing the right thing.

"I think some of the figures that they're asking for are exorbitant, it's just unrealistic.

"They are playing games and they are not serious about wanting to help their community."

SOURCE:

Transcripts, 15 and 21 Mar 2018

Ray Hadley show, Radio 2GB

(via Adam Crouch, Member for Terrigal)