RESCUING OUR WATERWAYS

02-March-2011

A NSW Liberals and Nationals Government will spend $1.5 million in funding to support urgent dredging projects across NSW, including the Myall River at Tea Gardens, Shadow Minister for Waterways Andrew Stoner and Member for Port Stephens Craig Baumann announced today.

Click here to view the NSW Liberals and Nationals' Rescuing Our Waterways policy

Under the Coalition's Rescuing Our Waterways policy, Mr Baumann said the dredging project would focus on the clogged eastern channel, in a bid to reverse the environmental degradation of the River.

"A Coalition Government will not ignore this issue and deny the problems in the River, like this State Labor Government has done," Mr Baumann said.

"It is two and a half years since I first raised the concerns of the Myall River in State Parliament – the mass fish kills, the brown water, the low salinity, the clogged eastern channel, and 18 months since I took the Myall River Action Group to Sydney to meet with the Environment Minister about the issue.

"After wasting months denying the problem, the State Labor Government has moved at snail's pace since then in its attempts to fix the River and it's simply not good enough.

"That's why it's great to be able to finally announce a real solution for the people of Tea Gardens today and I commend the Myall River Action |Group, headed by Gordon Grainger, for their tireless campaign for action to fix the Myall River, the lifeblood of this fabulous community."

Mr Baumann said the dredging project will obviously be in accordance with the now completed consultant's report, which is yet to be released.

"But this a big step forward towards restoring the Myall River to its former glory, and bringing some much needed protection for the RAMSAR-listed Corrie Island," he said.

Under the NSW Liberals & Nationals plan, funding would be also be provided towards:

1. Dredging the waterway entrances at Lake Cathie, Camden Haven River inlet and Hastings River;

2. Dredging the Manning River, Taree at the main entrance at Harrington and the secondary entrance at Farquhar Inlet;

3. Dredging of the channel to Fishermans Bay, Maianbar;

4. A review of the need for dredging other coastal rivers including the Nambucca River mouth.

Mr Stoner said the NSW Liberals and Nationals' sustainable dredging strategy will deliver ongoing recreational boating access, the continued viability of commercial boating operations and support industries.

"The strategy will also support continued viability of many tourism operations as well as the maintenance of tidal flows in high priority oyster growing areas," Mr Stoner said.