Batemans Bay Marina have started a Change.org petition to Andrew Constance MP Member for Bega
📸 Batemans Bay Marina In the petition that states: The Clyde River entrance at Batemans Bay NSW is blocked by a sand bar, which is a threat to the safety of boats and human life. It must be dredged to allow easy and safe access. The dredging of a channel to allow boats to enter a harbour is just as important as road and rail maintenance. In the past few months several boats have become stranded on the bar at the mouth of the Clyde River.This is because the bar hasn’t been dredged. After the last dredging works in 2016, the community was told that the channel would be kept open at 1.3-1.5 metres at a minimum.Without any maintenance dredging, the bar has built up again, and it is now around 70 cm deep. Four boats were retired from the Sydney to Hobart 2018 at least two with damage, but they had to be towed into Ulladulla and rafted up against trawlers as they couldn't get into Batemans Bay, where all the services they need are available at Batemans Bay Marina. Water Police touched the bottom as they came in after their race escort and the tow jobs. They don’t even have big keels. Boats from NSW Maritime, MAC (Eden and Port Kembla), Marine Rescue, Fisheries and the Water Police are all having difficulties getting in and out of the channel to maintain and police Batemans Marine Park and safety of those at sea.And of course the town of Batemans Bay and the regional community misses out – with less business and tourism revenue from passing boats – if south coast waterways are not kept safe. A new NSW Maritime Infrastructure Plan was released just days before the start of the Sydney to Hobart, which stated, like other reports before it, that dredging the Clyde River bar and maintaining the channel at Batemans Bay is a high priority. But it didn’t commit any funds or say when or how it was going to happen. Getting maintenance work underway shouldn’t be this hard. We are calling for dredging of the Clyde River bar to given the highest priority and for immediate action. According to the NSW Maritime Infrastructure Plan (Dec 2018), $445,000 in Coastal Dredging Strategy funding has been allocated to improve the Batemans Bay entrance bar for boating access. The plan states the importance of maintaining access in the Clyde River, Batemans Bay, which it acknowledges "is a popular recreational boating destination within easy reach from Canberra that supports significant tourism activity and provides access to the Batemans Bay Marine Park" (p32). If funding is there, and boats are now getting stuck or scraping the bar, then setting a date for dredging shouldn't be this hard.
You can find the petition HERE
