Consider breakwater groynes for channel

Whilst agreeing with Carl Veugen's comments (Peninsula News issue 452) on the current dredging program, I cannot see any dredging program being a long-term solution for maintaining a navigable channel and a stable beach from Ettalong past the point to and beyond the Ocean Beach Surf Life Saving Club.

Hard options such as breakwater groynes need to be considered off Ettalong Point to contain or direct the tidal flows away from the sand bank to the channel (to flush it naturally) and promote bank stability along the beach front.

There were short groynes off Ettalong Point which unfortunately were removed despite their success in doing the above but were thought to cause erosion of the beach.

That erosion has been minimised by the recent building of breakwalls at that beach but it still occurs near the Kourung St ramp, whether there are groynes at the point or not.

My local State Member called me about a government study to consider the long-term though I suspect its budget may not provide too much detail on what is worth pursuing.

I do hope however she can ensure, as we discussed, that at least hard options can be defined in broad terms for the community to comment.

Email, 1 Sep 2018

John O'Leary, Booker Bay