Posted on May 25, 2017
By Matt Taylor, the daily telegraph
A FERRY company, commuters and tourists have had a “big win” after the State Government revealed it would stump up $100,000 for emergency dredging works at the Ettalong channel in the next three months.
The decades-old bureaucratic brawl over who is responsible for the channel’s dredging — now estimated to cost $5 million — was sorted out at a breakthrough meeting between all key stakeholders last Thursday.
Central Coast Council will be expected to immediately apply for funding to undertake the work as a short-term solution before developing a long-term maintenance plan for the channel, which was last dredged in 2010.
Following the breakthrough, Central Coast Parliamentary Secretary Scot MacDonald floated the idea of a special environmental levy as a way of helping protect the region’s waterways, beaches and parklands.
Mr MacDonald said an environmental levy would provide a “war chest” for the local council to dip into when urgent works need to be done, such as the dredging of Ettalong channel.
He cited the former Great Lakes Council — now part of MidCoast Council with Taree and Gloucester — as an example of “proactive” long-term environmental management.
An special environmental levy was introduced by Great Lakes Council in 2001 and was renewed in 2004 and 2009 with strong community support. It has allowed for many successful and award-winning projects across the Great Lakes.
“Great Lakes is also not responsible (for dredging) but does it anyway,” Mr MacDonald said.
“A special levy would give council a war chest for this type of (Ettalong channel) problem. It could flow on to Wamberal (for waterfront protection) and council wouldn’t need to sell off green land.
“It would be a major change in policy, but this will be something for the new council to consider.”
His comments came after the Express Advocate led a successful campaign to get Ettalong channel fixed.
It kicked off in March when Fantasea Cruising — which last year carried more than 200,000 passengers between Ettalong and Palm Beach — revealed its services would be grounded unless narrow and shallow waters around Box Head were urgently dredged.
On Friday, Fantasea Cruising boss Anthony Hayes, who was at last week’s high-level talks, said it was a “great outcome” to get emergency work done on the channel.
“(It) will grate away sand from the worst-affected areas. It will buy us some more time to keep operating before they do a proper dredging.
“You guys did a great job highlighting the issue, and this will help us continue to transport commuters and tourists to and from the Central Coast. It’s definitely a big win because we’ve been trying to get something done since 2014.”
Mr MacDonald conceded there was a “weakness” in legislation that allowed the council to wipe its hands of responsibility to fix the channel over many years.
“Council came to us and said, ‘there’s no legislation which shows it’s our responsibility’, which is technically right, but it’s also clear it isn’t that of a state body,” he said.
Terrigal state Liberal MP Adam Crouch, who was instrumental in pulling all parties together last week, called on the council to make environmental maintenance a “priority”.
“I’m really pleased to see this short-term outcome, but council must now start working on longer-term solutions so we don’t keep arriving at crisis points,” Mr Crouch said.
The council has reassured Mr Crouch it would work with the relevant state departments on a long-term plan for the channel.
“Council is looking forward to working with the Department of Premier & Cabinet, the Department of Industry — Lands and Forestry, the Roads and Maritime Services and other relevant agencies to assist them in developing a long-term strategy and plan of management for the Ettalong channel and Box Head,” a council spokesman said.
Peninsula Chamber of Commerce president Matthew Wales, who threatened to strip down to his budgie smugglers in the channel if a solution wasn’t reached last week, said he was “satisfied” it would be safely maintained in the future.
“Thankfully the State departments and council have finally agreed to work together on this, but if it wasn’t for you guys (Express Advocate), it wouldn’t have come this far,” Mr Wales said.
Source: daily telegraph
