Swansea MP Yasmin Catley is calling on the state government to provide consistent dredging services for Swansea Channel.
It comes after 28 vessels became stuck in shallow water in the Channel over the Easter Long Weekend, forcing Lake Macquarie Marine Rescue to tow them away.
Currently, dredging is only carried out on an ad-hoc basis, with local mariners saying the entrance to Swan Bay is becoming extremely shallow and dangerous to navigate.
Yasmin Catley said it's a recurring issue with a long history.
"I have been calling on a permanent dredge with consistent maintenance to be undertaken," Ms Catley said, "so we don't get to this situation where...the government has reacted like I've had to react now, brought in a dredging company to do the dredging and then several months later [The Channel is] shoaled up again."
She said the government is also disadvantaging Lake Macquarie's tourism economy.
"Economically, it's just foolish," she explained, "the Lake is one of our greatest assets and we've often got boats coming up from Sydney or from the North coming into the Lake to generate economic benefit to the broader community.
"That is all being lost."
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| Busy: Marine Rescue Lake Macquarie helped 28 vessels stuck in silt over Easter. Image: The Herald. |
