Pressure is mounting on the State Government to address the dredging of the Ettalong channel, with Fantasea Palm Beach Ferries announcing this week that its Ettalong and Wagstaffe service will be diverted to Patonga indefinitely.
Residents have been vocal on social media, with a lack of public transport options between the Peninsula and Patonga forcing many to “hitch a ride” to connect to the Patonga-Palm Beach service.
Fantasea reiterated on its Facebook page following a review on June 13 that the indefinite diversion timetable would remain in force due to shifting sand bars and shallow operating depths in the channel and said it would conduct weekly assessments to determine when the Ettalong and Wagstaffe could resume.
Member for Terrigal Adam Crouch has called out the State Government for its lack of action and response regarding the dredging of the channel.
“It has now been over a week since this issue arose and my office immediately made the Minister for Transport aware of the situation, and yet a week later, the community has not heard one word from the Minister or the State Labor Government about how they are going to address the issue of dredging,” he said on June 14.
“While the Minister jetted off to Western Australia to view Australian -made ferries, the people of the Bouddi Peninsula have been without their vital ferry service for over a week.
“I have spoken with the ferry operators and they share in the frustration (of) ferry commuters … and agree it is imperative that the Minister arrange bus transport for commuters around Killcare, Wagstaffe, Hardys Bay and Ettalong to provide a link to the services departing from Patonga.”
Crouch said lack of action by the State Government on the issue of dredging was “not good enough” and emphasised that funding is available and ready to go.
“Under the former Coalition Government, the Ettalong channel was recognised as a vital transport link between the Central Coast and the Northern Beaches with thousands of people using the ferry each year,” he said.
“This is why the management of the Ettalong channel was taken over by the State Government and back in 2021 $6.2M in funding was provided for dredging needs.”
Member for Gosford Liesl Tesch said she would continue to engage with the office of Transport Minister Jo Haylen to create an ongoing and proactive solution regarding the dredging of the channel.
Tesch said the diversion of ferry services would hurt the local community, with many relying on ferries to access work and school, as well as essential services.
“The closure of these ferry services is extremely disruptive to workers and school students due to the limited public transport to and from Patonga,” she said.
“As a result, people cannot get to work or school unless they have a car.”
Tesch committed to working with Member for Terrigal Adam Crouch to reach a solution for the community.
“People need to be able to plan their lives and social responsibilities,” she said.
“This is not something to be politicised, this is something to be prioritised regardless of who is in government.”
Tesch said Transport for NSW (TfNSW) has indicated dredging is planned for October this year.
The aim is to remove 10,000m3 of sand from two areas – south of the Half Tide Rocks and south of the Sand Spit – subject to obtaining the necessary Crown Lands licence and environmental approvals.
The Maritime Infrastructure Delivery Office (MIDO) is actively progressing planning works for the October dredging, she said, with an expert consultant engaged to assist in preparing the required environmental approval for the first stage.
MIDO will also begin to engage with potential dredging contactors to ensure work can begin as soon as possible after approval is granted.
TfNSW is investigating ways to provide for maintenance dredging of the entire channel over a period of 10 years, to reduce periods of disruption caused by the build-up of sand.
In 2018 and 2019 the lack of dredging led to the cancellation of the local ferry service for extended periods of time, and whilst the NSW Liberal Government announced in 2021 it would take responsibility in maintaining the Ettalong channel, effective dredging has yet to be implemented, Tesch said.
She said since becoming the Member for Gosford, she has campaigned for a long-term plan to properly dredge the channel.
“We need urgent, effective and proactive dredging, not just a piecemeal solution that avoids the real issue,” she said.
Federal Member for Robertson Gordon Reid welcomed the news the channel will be dredged later this year, saying the lack of progress with the project highlighted the “neglect and complacency” of the former State Government.
Terry Collins