Community association calls for continued pressure

Local residents have been urged to write to the NSW Minister for Lands and Forestry to ensure emergency dredging of the Ettalong channel begins without delay.

Wagstaffe-Killcare Community Association president Ms Peta Colebatch thanked local residents for attending the May 10 community meeting and May 14 Council meeting to lobby for an end to the impasse on maintaining a navigable Brisbane Water Channel.

"Finally, we were successful, and it was a tribute to all the community and organisational pressure and to the councillors themselves who changed their vote from the previous obdurate stance," she said.

"The strength of community action really made a difference.

"But we need to keep up the pressure, to ensure that the State Government now takes urgent steps to identify the appropriate dredge and arrange for its movement to this area so that dredging can begin without delay.

"This needs to be done now, not at some point in the future.

"Prior to the Council meeting, we understood from MP Adam Crouch, that the State Government would act immediately if the Council submitted a compliant 50-50 application.

"So now the Council has acted, and we need the State Government to act.

She suggested residents message Minister for Lands and Forestry Mr Paul Toole or ring him on (02) 8574 7000, to ask him to arrange for the urgent dredging.

"We can't afford to have everyone's livelihoods disrupted through further delay."

SOURCE:

Media release, 15 May 2018

Peta Colebatch, WTKCA