Gary Nichols of Marine Rescue addressed Council for the second time in six months last Thursday, requesting urgent assistance with the sand build-up in the Nambucca River’s navigational channels and across the river’s sand bar.

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Mr Nichols explained the difficulties currently faced by Marine Rescue in carrying out rescue operations.

In particular, he said there was often a large time delay before the organisation’s 18-year-old rescue boat could be launched or cross the bar to help those in trouble on the other side.

Mr Nichols spoke in support of a Council motion to investigate options, brought forward by Mayor Gary Lee.

The motion suggested Council write to Transport Minister Jo Haylen and Member for Oxley Michael Kemp requesting funding for a feasibility study into whether a Southern Sea Wall would stop sand build-up and improve river access.

The motion also sought funds for a feasibility study into navigational dredging of the Nambucca River.

Councillor Jenvey questioned Mr Nichols on other options besides dredging.

“How did you end up having a base which is behind the bar?” Cr Jenvey asked.

Mr Nichols replied that the organisation had been seeking a more suitable base location for the past four years, with no success.

Cr Jenvey also suggested implementing an education program so boats do not attempt to enter the river when the conditions were not right.

“Our river and estuarine committee studied this concept in detail, and it found that this just wasn’t feasible,” Cr Jenvey said.

“The river is an equilibrium and if you dig in front the water and the sand are going to move in behind it.”

Cr Jenvey said the State Government was unlikely to fund dredging and explained some of her environmental concerns.

“We haven’t done testing for toxic residue; whether all the farm runoffs over 70 years are sitting there under the sand that if we dig it up might kill all the marine ecology and be harmful to humans,” she said.

“It might be cheaper for the community to have you have the right boat than it is to spend millions dredging when it all just fills up,” she suggested.

“(Alternatively) I think it’s a lot cheaper to fund moving Marine Rescue than it is to fund dredging.”

As a result of her discussion, several amendments were made to the motion including that council staff report on the costs of monitoring marine sediments in the Nambucca River Mouth and investigate other possible beach launch locations such as Scotts Head and Shelley Beach for the Marine Rescue’s launch site.

By Ned COWIE