State Government Commits To Dredging The Myall River

 BY IAN CROUCH

The state government has responded to calls from the Tea Gardens and Hawks Nest communities to address the silting up of the Myall River.

A hydrographic survey of the river in September 2023 by the Maritime Infrastructure Office confirmed there was a significant sand build up in the navigation channel, threatening the water gateway to Tea Gardens and Hawks Nest.

The government has committed to working with Mid Coast Council to dredge the channel, with the project estimated to cost around $2million dollars.

Subject to relevant approvals, the work is due to start before the middle of the year.

Dredging work on the Myall River is due to start within months Picture: Port Stephens Examiner

Swansea Channel Dredging To Begin This Month

BY OLIVIA DILLON

The long-awaited dredging of the Swansea Channel is set to get under way this month.

Up to 30,000 cubic metres of sand will be removed from the beach across two campaigns and placed on Elizabeth Island, once approval is granted by Crown Lands. 

It means boaters will be able to more easily navigate the passage to Lake Macquarie, with the dredging set to widen the channel to 30 metres, allowing for vessels with a draft up to 2.5 metres. 

Swansea MP Yasmine Catley, said she's pleased to see the ongoing issue finally resolved. 

"The whole community are going to be so pleased that this dredging program is starting. They've been calling for this now for more than two years, and as promised, the Labor government has delivered and dredging will begin this month."  

The first campaign will take place at the end of this month, weather permitting, and the second will be carried out in Autumn 2024. 

New Department to Take Over Stockton Beach Project

BY OLIVIA DILLON

The Department for Regional NSW will take over the Stockton Beach re-nourishment project. 

The Department will keep NSW Public Works on as the project manager, so it may carry out initial dredging and sand placement, as well as investigations into long-term erosion solutions. 

Minster for Regional NSW Tara Moriarty will become the Chair of the Stockton Beach Taskforce as part of the shake-up, and says a lack of clarity about who was in charge of the project was holding it back. 

The Taskforce will meet next month for the first time since June last year. 

Newcastle MP and Minister for the Hunter Tim Crakanthorp, says he looks forward to seeing the works finally go ahead. 

"First of all, we've got the $6.2 million Commonwealth and City of Newcastle project to get 300,000 cubic meters of sand onto the beach; that's a bit of a stop-gap solution."

"Then, we've got the $21 million that I've committed through the Minns Labor government to come on and do the larger offshore dredging and get a whole lot of sand onto that beach," he said. 

Mr Crakanthorp said it's about time there was an update on the progress of the project. 

"The Taskforce hasn't met for some time; I'd been pushing and pushing the former government to meet which they refused to do." 

"Now we're in government, I've directed that we have a meeting so we're getting it organised for June, and we'll start progressing that federal government grant in the initial sense and once that's expended, we'll get on to the larger $21 million in funding to get large volumes of sand onto that beach." 

NSW Labor Promises $21 Million for Stockton Renourishment

BY OLIVIA DILLON

NSW Labor has promised to put $21 million towards mass sand nourishment of Stockton Beach if they win the election next month. 

Shadow Local Government Minister Greg Warren visited the town today, to make the pledge for a long-term solution to the decades-long issue. 

The coastal town has lost more than 10 million cubic metres of sand off it's beach, and it's estimated up to 2.5 million cubic metres is needed to re-nourish and maintain it.

Newcastle MP Tim Crakanthorp said it's about time action was taken. 

"Chris Minns and I promised the people of Stockton we'd present our commitment prior to the election day, and today we deliver on that promise," Mr Crakanthorp said. 

"For too long, this project has been caught up in bureaucracy, but a NSW Labor Government will see the talk stop, and the work begin." 

Labor's commitment would see a memorandum of understanding between them, City of Newcastle, and NSW Public Works, to ensure the government agency holds the dredging license. 

The party plans to seek help from the Port of Newcastle for a long-term solution, and will work closely with the Stockton Beach Taskforce throughout the process.

 

Tim Crakanthorp, said the community has waited long enough already. 

"Getting sand back on Stockton Beach has been a long-time focus of mine. We brought a 10,000-signature petition to Parliament, we've had representations, Notices of Motions, and finally we're here today," he said. 

"I'm really excited that we can say a Labor government will fix this."

"The Stockton community has waited long enough under this Liberal government. Only NSW Labor will get this done." 

$21 Million Needed For Long-Term Stockton Solution

BY OLIVIA DILLON

A funding short-fall is the latest spanner in the works to re-nourish Stockton Beach. 

The Coastal Management Plan estimates at least an extra $21 million is needed before long term sand re-nourishment can occur. 

After announcing on Monday, NSW Public Works would take over the short-term dredging project, Deputy Premier Paul Toole said the body would work with the commonwealth and council to minimise costs. 

While City of Newcastle and The Greens are in support of a break-wall levy to fund the ongoing works, both Labor and the Coalition have ruled it out. 

While council maintains the NSW government should be the one to take key action in relation to the plan, discussions continue over which government agency will take majority responsibility of the project.

City and State in Stand-Off Over Stockton Beach Dredge

BY OLIVIA DILLON

Newcastle Council and the state government say, they're each on waiting on one another, to get started on a new nourishment program for Stockton Beach.

The federal government announced the project in October, funding most of the $6.2 million, alongside a council contribution. 

But there's now a stand-off as to whether the City or New South Wales is responsible for managing the works and getting the wheels in motion.

The Port of Newcastle has also raised concern, revealing it doesn't have a permit to dredge the harbour for sand nourishment works.

The Port's Chief Commercial Officer Simon Byrnes, told Newcastle Herald, they do not have "necessary provision to provide sand nourishment or perform dredging operations that are not required for maintenance purposes."

Newcastle MP Tim Crakanthorp, said the project is proving to be frustrating for both residents and council. 

"This is ridiculous. This grant application was completed by the state government, naming one of their own agencies as playing a part, who are now trying to back-track," Mr Crakanthorp said.   

"The money is there. It should not be this difficult to get this project moving, and I have attempted to discuss this with the Hunter Central Coast Development Corporation (HCCDC) on a number of occasions." 

HCCDC was identified as the operation's project manager on the original application. 

Mr Crakanthorp said the delays need to stop, and sand needs to be put back on the beach. 

"This project needs to be project-managed from start to finish, and HCCDC are the allocated government agency to do so. They need to start that process immediately." 

Charity regatta struggling due to lack of Swansea Channel dredge

BY DAKOTA TAIT

There's concern a charity regatta scheduled for Lake Macquarie this weekend won't live up to its full potential, with boaters afraid to get involved because Swansea Channel hasn't yet been dredged.

The Heaven Can Wait Regatta is set to happen over Saturday and Sunday, raising funds for the NSW Cancer Council's Hunter branch.

But Royal Motor Yacht Club Toronto have noticed boaters are reluctant to attend, citing an inability to navigate the channel as a major concern.

While the regatta usually attracts around 60 to 65 boats, Vice Commodore Melvin Steiner expects the turnout to fall to around 45 or 50 this year.

He says it's disappointing not only for the community, but for the fundraising goal of half a million dollars.

"It restricts boats from other ports that normally come to the regatta, from getting into the lake," Mr Steiner said.

"We've had inquiries from boats that have done the regatta before, from Sydney, asking what the depth of the channel is." 

"As soon as you say it's down around 1.5 or something, or less, they say we're not coming, we can't get in there."

Swansea MP Yasmin Catley has been pushing the State Government for a solution since December.

It was revealed last week, Marine Rescue Lake Macquarie surpassed last year's 55 vessel escorts through the channel in January alone. 

Transport for NSW says a dredging project will happen in the first half of 2022, but expect environmental approvals and selection of a tender to take months.

Mr Steiner says his club and other organisations had tried to raise their concerns, to no avail.

"It just seems to fall on deaf ears," Mr Steiner said. 

"There's been a change in the organisation, in terms of who's responsible for doing dredging in our waterways, and they've really done nothing since that change and we don't know when they're going to start."

Image credit: Transport for NSW