Beach erosion and silting 'not connected', says CEN
The erosion at Ocean and Umina Beach and the silting of the Ettalong channel are unlikely to be connected, according to Community Environment Network chairman Mr John Asquith
"Ocean Beach is 2km away from the channel and that is quite a distance.
"If sand collected by the dredge was placed on Ocean Beach, once it was in the water it doesn't go out into the estuary it goes out into the deep waters of Broken Bay never to be seen again.
"The sand would be lost out of the Ettalong system and that would lead to more erosion of the beaches around Ettalong, Half Tide Rocks and Lobster Beach.
"Umina and Ocean Beaches face the south east and they are being continually buffered by the Ocean from the south east," Mr Asquith said.
"The Brisbane Water current is coming from the north and the sand bar is where they intersect," he said.
"The solution is to do what needs to be done to keep the channel open and let the sand do its thing."
Interview, 20 Mar 2018
John Asquith, Community Environment Network
Reporter: Jackie Pearson