Port Hacking proposed dredging

[Yowie]

Spoke to the Shire Deputy Mayor yesterday. A proposal was made earlier this year to dredge Port Hacking. His opinion is that it is still a Mexican Standoff as to who will foot the bill, that being the Council or the State Government. 

The situation has not changed for quite some time, and not likely to at this point in time, so the narrow and shallow channels will remain as they are, which is becoming dangerous to the large cruisers that swan about the river.

The larger boats in Fishermans Bay have not been able to leave the bay for many years.

[Couta]

Hey Yowie, as a kid I lived for a short while in a waterfront house just down a bit from Darook Park. I just had a look at Gunamatta Bay on Google Earth. Has it changed! In those days, I'm talking about the early/mid 1960s, the sand bar at Darook Park was about half the size or less compared to what it is now. It was a relatively narrow strip of sand which went a long way across the bay. The sand in front of our house has moved out a long way as well. It looks like Maianbar flats have also expanded a lot. 

These days I fish a lot in Brisbane Water, shore based. There is a sand bank at Ettalong with a nice drop off. In the 7 or so years I have been fishing there it has expanded hugely and the whole area is filling up with sand. I don't know what's happening there. 

[Yowie]

Those sand banks have changed around Gunnamatta, also the mouth of Burraneer, Lilli Pilli, mouth of S/W Arm, Maianbar flats.

Something will happen in the near future if nothing is done, including hitting a bank at high speed and face planting on the front of the boat.

Edited October 23, 2021 by Yowie