WHEN the Member for Coffs Harbour, Gurmesh Singh, announced the beginning of works for the $14 million upgrade of the Coffs Harbour boat ramp last August, he did not envisage the controversy it has attracted six months later.

As well as numerous unflattering social media posts and comments, there is a Change.org petition with more than 600 signatures for the boat ramp to be “rectified immediately and the relevant parties held responsible for the complete shambles that the boat ramp now represents”.

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With the first stage of extending the breakwall, widening the ramp and dredging work underway, according to local fishermen, things have not gone quite to plan.

One of them, Steven Moss, said that there has always been some silting in poor weather, but it seems to be much worse, now to the point of affecting safety.

He said that many local fishermen are frustrated at the build up of sand.

A spokesperson for the Coffs Harbour Game Fishing Club said he wasn’t pointing the finger at anyone, but there needs to be a safe, deep channel into the harbour at high and low tide.

At the moment access at low tide can be dangerous, particularly for bigger, heavier boats.

He acknowledged that the bad seas in recent times may not have helped, but it probably only hastened the silting problem.

The Club is concerned because it is hosting its annual ‘Hot Current’ fishing tournament over Easter and if there are problems it might dissuade fishermen from returning to Coffs Harbour.

Keith Anderson recently wrote to News Of The Area outlining his thoughts as a fisherman with more than 50 years of experience in Coffs Harbour.

He said the ocean pushes sand into the harbour near the yacht club and it swirls in an anti-clockwise direction.

When the water hits the extended breakwall it drops the sand.

Mr Anderson told News Of The Area, “As long as the walls are there, the sand will build up and they won’t be able to keep up with the dredging.”

Mr Singh said, “The entryway to the ramp has become silted up quicker than anyone could have envisaged.”

He pointed out that it was always anticipated that there would be dredging.

“Extensive modelling was done of the whole foreshore and it is disappointing that this issue wasn’t picked up in that modelling,” Mr Singh said.

“I have spoken to officials from Transport for NSW who have assured me that they are exploring a range of solutions to the issue and will report back with options shortly.

“The design of the precinct was informed by community as well as government agencies and the finished product needs to live up to that vision,” he said.

By Andrew VIVIAN