Second dredge motion defeated

A second motion for Central Coast Council to buy an ocean going dredge to permanently manage the Ettalong channel has been defeated.

Councillors Rebecca Gale Collins, Greg Best, Jilly Pilon and Bruce McLachlan put a rescission motion to the March 12 meeting to reverse the previous council decision to seek a full briefing before deciding whether to buy a dredge.

That briefing is expected to include legal advice, current dredging strategies and recent history, an understanding of how the estuary functions and cost implications of the various options.

The meeting was addressed by Peninsula Chamber of Commerce president Mr Matthew Wales, Central Coast Ferries owner Ms Bets Conway and Ettalong Diggers Tourism Information Centre officer Ms Kim Cole.

Cr Chris Burke voted in favour of the rescission motion, along with the four councillors who put the motion to the meeting but it was lost.

He called for a division which indicated those voting down the rescission motion were councillors Smith, Vincent, Hogan, Greenway, MacGregor, Mehrtens, Matthews, Holstein and Sundstrom.

SOURCE:

Central Coast Council agenda

Item 7.1, 12 Mar 2018

Reporter: Jackie Pearson