Ettalong Channel is set to be dredged by the end of August.
Sand build-up in the channel has seen Palm Beach Ferries services diverted from Ettalong and Wagstaffe to Patonga for months, with Central Coast commuters experiencing major inconveniences.
Fantasea first announced it would divert services early in June due to channel inaccessibility, with commuters thrown into chaos as they scrambled to arrange transport to Patonga to meet the ferry.
The Government subsequently introduced shuttle services, first from Ettalong and later from Wagstaffe, to coincide with ferry arrivals and departures at Patonga.
Businesses and commuters have been anxiously awaiting news on when the problem could be addressed.
Transport for NSW Maritime has now received a Crown Lands’ licence to start dredging by the end of the month.
McQuade Marine has been engaged to carry out the work, which will see 30,000 cubic metres of sand removed.
Planning is underway to move a dredge from Queensland to Ettalong on August 19-20, weather conditions permitting, with the goal of starting work next week.
Dredged sand will be placed in the water on Ettalong Shoals, just off Ocean Beach.
This location is in line with previous dredging campaigns.
As part of the project, measures will be put in place to protect environmentally-sensitive areas.
This will include establishing buffer areas to prevent the disturbance of sea grasses.
Member for Gosford Liesl Tesch said the community has been crying out for the channel to be dredged for too long, laying the blame at the feet of the former Liberal State Government, which she says let the dredging backlog build up over 12 years.
“We are fixing the issues we inherited and getting to work, dredging the channel,” she said.
“I’m really pleased that the Minister is developing a 10-year plan which will see Transport develop the necessary environmental assessments and approvals, including options for future dredging campaigns to place sand in areas along the Ettalong foreshore.
“That wasn’t possible this time around because it would have delayed the start of dredging, but we’ll do the work to explore if it’s possible in the future.”
Minister for Transport Jo Haylen said the work would ensure the channel can continue serving as a vital transport link for years to come.
She said she had asked Transport for NSW to develop a 10-year plan for dredging.
“I don’t want this important work to fall behind again,” she said.
Member for Terrigal Adam Crouch said communities and businesses on the Bouddi Peninsula had been suffering since the ferry services were diverted.
Terry Collins