Chamber fears ferry service may have to stop

The Peninsula Chamber of Commerce has foreshadowed the possible cessation of ferry services if the Ettalong Channel is allowed to continue to silt up.

"Recent drone photos have confirmed our worst fears that the Ettalong Channel is so badly silted that it may lead to the closure of ferry operations until a permanent dredging solution is put in place," said Chamber president Mr Matthew Wales.

"It is clearly evident from the aerial photos that the sand bar at Little Box Head has started to creep across the main channel causing tidal flow to spread across the main entry bar rather than scour the old channel out," Mr Wales said.

"The Palm Beach Ferry has now so little room to manoeuvre through the channel with such restricted draught that not only are route cancellations a regular occurrence, the whole service operation is now under threat," he said.

"The photos are the clearest evidence yet that emergency dredging is once again an absolute necessity."

SOURCE:

Media release, 4 Apr 2018

Matthew Wales, Peninsula Chamber of Commerce