DEAR News Of The Area,

SINCE my contribution to the dredging debate (NOTA 27/4) interested readers have requested more information.

The decline in seagrass density has been apparent since circa 1980.

At that time, anyone venturing onto the meadows would sink up to their knees in mud, such was the effectiveness of the Zostera in catching muddy turbulence.

The plight of the seagrass was not proven until 2011 when most of it had disappeared leaving bare sand.

The Scanes Report focused on water discharge and sedimentation acknowledging its disinterest in seagrass (p38).

The “squeaky wheel” of the politics of dredging took precedence, the loss of seagrass has extended throughout Port Stephens and obviously has nothing to do with “salinity”.

It may be linked to the oyster collapse.

The wonderful cleansing action of the flood tide can be compared to a giant broom cleaning up the mess left by the “elephant in the room”… until the ebb tide.

My thesis is the “missing link” squaring-up inconsistencies in a long and tedious debate between Col, Len and others.

Regards,
Robert ADAMS,
Hawks Nest.