DEAR News Of The Area,

I RECENTLY attended a meeting regarding the proposed rejuvenation.

However, Coffs Harbour is silting up at a rate of knots.

Unless this problem is addressed soon there will be no harbour.

This would be a tragedy.

Coffs is the only harbour between Newcastle and Queensland where small vessels can take shelter in an emergency.
And if silting is allowed to go on unchecked it could result in a very real tragedy.

In year’s gone by we have hosted the New Endeavour, the Dutch square rigger (whose name escapes me), and my neighbour tells me when the Queen came on one visit the royal yacht Britannia was moored in Coffs.

Yet recently we have had to ferry provisions to a yacht in the Pittwater to Coffs boat race because her draft was too deep for her to enter the harbour.

Imagine if that had been a serious emergency.

It could have ended in tragedy.

If we reopened the Muttonbird end of the North wall, the sea would then take the sand onto Park Beach.

And in the meantime the harbour could be dredged and the sand sold to cover costs.

Or we could lengthen the South wall until it is level with Muttonbird Island.

Then the sand would automatically bypass the harbour mouth and go to Park Beach.

But that is a very very expensive option.

However I feel any money spent on rejuvenation of the foreshore or the boat ramp is taxpayers money wasted.

Yours sincerely,
H BLAKEMORE,
Coffs Harbour.