Posted on January 24, 2019
Batemans Bay Marina on the NSW south coast has launched an online petition seeking support for immediate action to be taken on dredging the Clyde River entrance to provide safe access for boats.
According to the petition – which can be signed here – the last dredging works were carried out in 2016 and, since then, the bar has silted up again to a depth of only 70cm at low tide. As a result, several boats have been stranded on the bar and local marine rescue and police vessels are finding it difficult to get in and out of the channel.
Daimon Martin, general manager at Batemans Bay Marina, called on the NSW Government to commit to a dredging program as a highest priority.
“Safe navigation and access in regional waterways and small ports is just as critical to the boating industry as the maintenance of roads and rail to users of cars and trains,” he said.
“When a vessel is in distress at sea we all expect that the vessels and persons can seek safe harbour or refuge in small ports along the coast.
“There are also dramatic flow on effects to small businesses, retail and tourism in regional towns like Batemans Bay, from visiting boats and their on-land spend.
“As boating activity increases outside metropolitan areas and we see increasing numbers in bluewater cruising to regional ports along the ‘Horizon Highway’, we seek urgent assistance from the NSW Government to take action on dredging the Clyde River entrance sandbar.
“We ask the entire industry to get behind this really important cause and support our petition.”
The NSW Maritime Infrastructure Plan released last year states that $445,000 has been allocated to improve Batemans Bay access as part of the Coastal Dredging Strategy which offers $8 million over four years for councils to carry out local dredging projects.
Source: MarineBusiness
