The NSW Department of Crown Lands is the lead agency for dredging across NSW, according to NSW Roads and Maritime Services.
“As the NSW boating regulator, Roads and Maritime may issue marine notices for local waterways if hazards indicate a significant imminent or current safety concern,” the agency said. “On rare occasions, Roads and Maritime has closed certain waterways to boating for safety reasons, predominantly if responding to an immediate or current significant danger to users or from the environment. “While Roads and Maritime does not lead in the NSW Government’s dredging program, at the end of last year the agency carried out some emergency dredging of the Ettalong Channel to ensure the channel continued to conform with charted depths and conditions published.
“The Ettalong Channel is well known for being a waterway with a moving seabed due to the dynamic nature of the waterway environment. “It is the responsibility of each individual skipper or boat operator to ensure they seek local knowledge, check the conditions, know the limitations of their own vessel, and follow the signed speed limits and navigation markers in any waterway, including Ettalong Channel. “Roads and Maritime Services supports boating safety of all waterway users through work with local communities and user groups as well as commercial and recreational vessel owners.
“Navigation and safety signage is regularly checked and altered to ensure guidance is provided for local waterways and for the conditions in which a vessel may navigate. “Roads and Maritime has dedicated Boating Safety Officers patrol local waterways and monitor prevailing conditions to advise whether any changes need to be made to navigation markers. “Close community consultation assists in this process for the benefit of all users. “Additionally, Boating Safety Officers work to ensure compliance, respectful on-water behaviour and safety are maintained.”
SOURCE: Media statement, 2 Mar 2018 Penny Robins, Roads and Maritime Services
Photo: Andy Smith Photography