Members of The Entrance business community believe that this summer could be their last if Central Coast Council does not start dredging the channel within the next six weeks.
Toni and Terry Moon own The Entrance Boat Shed, and according to Toni Moon, this summer will be make or break.
“Council needs to dredge the channel before spring or it’s over.
“Our summer season starts in spring, so if the lake isn’t at a premium by then, the whole of The Entrance fails,” she said.
Debate over dredging of the channel has been waging virtually since council was formed, but for many businesses that call The Entrance home, the past 12 months have been the final straw, with sand build up, floods and now a pandemic pushing many to breaking point.
Despite a brief reprieve when the channel was flushed after the floods, Moon said that sand was again beginning to bank up and that it was only a matter of time before it was back to how it was last summer.
“We’re heading back to being sand bound, and if we are, if we end up exactly where we were six months ago, that’ll be it for a lot of businesses.
“They’ll just close, especially if there’s a second lockdown.
“The Entrance will be done,” she said.
With that grim forecast in mind, Moon said that the community was continuing to fight for The Entrance but was adamant that council needs to act before businesses go under and The Entrance dries up.
“We are not going to just sit by and watch The Entrance die.
“We haven’t stopped fighting for the channel and we won’t stop fighting for it.
“Council needs to use the taxpayer’s money that they took and start the dredging before it’s too late,” Moon said.
The Entrance MP, David Mehan, said he sympathised with the business community adversely affected by the state of the channel, but cautions that dredging won’t be the ‘silver bullet that fixes all their problems’.
“There’s no doubt that things are particularly tough after the forced closure, but coming out of that, The Entrance is certainly quite busy for mid-winter and there’s opportunity for businesses to make money.
“Yes, council has funds to dredge the channel, but it’s my understanding that the issues they need to overcome with the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) haven’t been resolved, and personally, I don’t think sand in the channel by itself is enough to kill business in the area,” Mehan said.
“Obviously, council needs to proceed with the dredging, but until this matter with the EPA is resolved, it can’t, and that’s not necessarily council’s fault.
“Given we’re in the middle of a health emergency, I think it’ll be slow going, but I expect that the dredging will commence sooner rather than later.
“I have made representations to both council and the EPA over this matter and I want to assure the community that this is something that I am paying close attention to, but it’s important to note that The Entrance’s business problems won’t be solved by the channel being opened or closed,” Mehan said.
According to Mehan, one of those problems is the lack of a dedicated economic plan to reactive the suburb and that is something he is passionate about correcting.
“Council is the only organisation with the authority and skills to put together an economic plan for The Entrance, which is something that I think the business community should get on board with.
“I also think that there needs to be a realisation that dredging won’t solve everything.
“If you compare The Entrance to Long Jetty for instance, Long Jetty is thriving and doesn’t rely on the lake to attract business, and I think there’s a lot that could be done to improve the offering and amenity of The Entrance.
“Property owners in particular do the business community no favours by allowing their properties to become eyesores.
“There’s also a lot of business owners that don’t invest in their own real estate,” Mehan said.
In terms of the channel, Mehan also believes that its shallowness could hold its own appeal for some tourists.
“Being able to walk out into the channel to fish is a point of difference for The Entrance compared to places like Port Macquarie and Foster.
“It’s an advantage we hold over other areas and not one that should be overlooked,” he said.
Parliamentary Secretary for the Central Coast, Adam Crouch, also weighed in on the situation and was also critical of council.
“Over five months ago, the NSW Government provided Central Coast Council with $600,000 to dredge the channel.
“In the week before making this announcement, I spoke to a senior council staff member to ensure that work could begin quickly and received an assurance that work would progress in a timely way.
“A month after making this announcement, I wrote to the Mayor and asked for an explanation for the delay.
“I am yet to receive a reply.
“Our community, both local businesses and residents, expects better from Council,” Crouch said.
Central Coast Council was approached for comment.
Dilon Luke