Australia: Ballina Still Waits for Dredging

The urgent need for dredging at Ballina’s sand bar causes concerns for local fishermen, reports echonews.

Although the dredging project was discussed several times, nothing has been done yet.

Before the dredging begins, an impact study has to show how the project would affect the environment.

After the analysis of this study, a lot of bureaucracy is still required to be done before the dredging can start.

After years of debate and campaigning the treacherous Ballina Bar still needs dredging, and if the bar is not dredged commercial fishermen will have to abandon Ballina, according to northernstar.

“I deal with the trawler guys every day and I know they’re going through economic hell at the moment. Last financial year they worked 60 days out of a possible 220 because they couldn’t cross,” Ballina Fishermen’s Co-operative general manager Phillip Hilliard said.

[mappress]

Dredging Today Staff, November 1, 2012