The voices you will hear in the following conversation are heard more than once. If you need to go over the tape you will pick them out when they reappear.  

•   P Creagh, Narooma Ports Committee
•   V Firth, Minister
•   A Person, adviser to Minister Firth
•   J Moore, Narooma Ports Committee
•   J Tait, Coastal Rights Association
•   T Shepard, Parks NSW
•   D Pratt, Coastal Rights Association

Following up on the issue of the condition of rock walls in the area. The letter below was received yesterday. We thank the department for it's response and look forward to these much needed works commencing soon. Will keep you posted.

Dave… 

Mr Jack Tait President Coastal Rights Association Pamandjack1@yahoo.com.au

Level 4, 437 Hunter Street, NEWCASTLE NSW 2300 PO BOX 2185 DANGAR 2309 tel (02) 4920 5059; fax (02) 4925 3489; mob 0407 066 416; email Stephen.driscoll@lands.nsw.gov.au www.lands.nsw.gov.au

Date 22nd April 2008

N08/204

Dear Mr Tait I refer to your email to Hon Verity Firth MP concerning rock walls at Moruya and Batemans Bay. This matter has been forwarded to Minister Tony Kelly MLC for consideration as the Department of Lands has responsibility for management of most trained river entrances in this State. Minister Kelly has asked me to respond to you on his behalf regarding this matter as I oversee the maintenance program for breakwaters in NSW. The department’s River Entrance and Minor Ports Program maintain ocean breakwaters at 25 locations along the NSW coast. Exposure to ocean storms varies significantly from site to site however it can be expected that there will be periodic over topping of these walls, together with damage to the armour and crest. Warning signs have been erected along these walls advising the public of the risk from large waves and the variation in crest surface. A Total Asset Management System has been developed for the department’s maritime infrastructure. As part of this system, inspections are carried out annually. Condition surveys of breakwaters at Moruya, Batemans Bay and Narooma have been carried out by coastal engineers in February 2008. These surveys have been used to assist in determining a repair strategy. As a result of severe storms in late 2007 repairs to the crest of the Moruya North Breakwater have been identified. A contract has been let for this work, with the contractor to take charge of the site after the April 2008 school holidays. Minor repairs will also be undertaken at Batemans Bay and Narooma before the end of this financial year. Should you require further information, please call Mr Stephen Driscoll, State Manager Minor Ports, on (02) 4920 5059. Yours faithfully

Stephen Driscoll State Manager Minor Ports Unit Crown Lands Division

]]> http://www.coastalrights.org/2008/04/23/breakwall-update/feed/ http://www.coastalrights.org/2008/04/20/good-morning-ministers/ http://www.coastalrights.org/2008/04/20/good-morning-ministers/#comments Sun, 20 Apr 2008 13:31:27 +0000 admin http://www.coastalrights.org/2008/04/20/good-morning-ministers/ Just in case you haven't checked your email.

In November 2007 Coastal Rights Association proved beyond reasonable doubt that the NSW State Government had not acted in accordance with the Marine Parks Act 1997 when creating regulations for Batemans Marine Park and had mislead the people of New South Wales and also the Governor.

Rather than admit this fact, Minister for the Environment Verity Firth and Minister for Primary Industries Ian MacDonald are currently seeking to amend the Marine Parks Act and cover up their lie.

Coastal Rights Association, will throw down a challenge to the Ministers and the Marine Parks Authority. Members of Coastal Rights Association will return to fishing the South Coast as it was before the Marine Park and will fish in what the Ministers say is a sanctuary zone.

Ministers if we are breaking the law, send a Marine Parks officer to fine us for fishing in a sanctuary zone. If not admit no zones exist in Batemans Marine Park and return to the table to restart the consultation process.

For further information contact.

Jack Tait 0437 128003
Dave Pratt 02 4472 8021
Rodney Stokman 02 4472 4393.

Dave and Jack

Regarding the comment and photos on the Coastal Rights Association website 'CRA Apology' dated 3 April 2008 (see attached link).

Pls note that DPI Fisheries and MPA already know about these illegal works located on an unnamed  tributary of the Clyde River (downstream of Currowan Creek junction) which took place in February 2008. Several DPI Fisheries staff including myself have inspected the site and DPI is currently preparing a prosecution of the owner for breaches of the Fisheries Management Act (and possibly Marine Parks Act as well). Eurobodalla Shire Council and DECC/EPA are also taking legal action and will be issuing a Clean Up Notice to the owner under the Protection of the Environment Operations (POEO) Act requiring remediation works to be done.

Can you pls amend your webpage to note the above for the information of your members and local recreational fishers.

So, no you can't just do what you want in a waterway or marine park without consequences!

Thanks

Trevor

Dr. Trevor Daly
Fisheries Conservation Manager (South Coast)
NSW Department of Primary Industries

Thanks Trevor for your quick response to that story we are pleased that you view this matter as seriously as we and indeed the general public do.

I decided to run it and publish the photos as the talk we were hearing suggested that nothing was going to be done about the matter.

We are pleased that you were able clear it up for us.  

Dave… 

It  seems that Coastal Rights Association  owes the community, the government and indeed the Marine Parks Authority an apology. Contrary to our earlier view that NSW Marine Park rules were unnecessarily restrictive.

During a recent trip up the Clyde River we realized how wrong we have been.

Member for Bega, Andrew Constance took time last week to walk the wall with Councillor Peter Carney and members of Coastal Rights association to see first hand what years of state government neglect have done.

A press release made by Mr Constance called on the government to urgently fund the necessary repairs before someone is injures or worse still, killed.

click to enlarge

Councillor Carney was  concerned that the government were looking at maybe allocating money in next years budget for repairs that are urgently needed now.

What most people seem to be missing at this point, is why this wall was constructed in the first place. It wasn't to give anglers a platform to fish from, or surfers better waves. The reason a previous state government spent so much time and money, was to keep the mouth of the river open, to protect the health of this important river and estuary system.

click to enlarge

The aerial photo taken in 2000 shows the entrance training wall in good condition. If the current lack of maintenance is allowed to continue it won't be long before the main wall has sections out of it. What will this mean for the health of the river and it's estuary system?

By not acting now to prevent the wall from falling apart, the government shows a great lack of respect for the environment. The Marine Parks Authority and local green group's silence on this matter has been deafening. 

Links to Media.

Bay Post/Moruya Examiner 

Premier Iemma	Robert Kearney  PhD,DSc,AM

On October the 3rd Emeritus professor Robert Kearney PhD,DSc,AM, sent the letter below to the Premier of NSW requesting answers to an e-mail letter signed by Minister Verity Firth and sent to Mr jack Tait President of Coastal Rights Assn. 

(more…)

If you can identify our mystery man please contact Dave or Jack.

More photos to follow.

Here at Coastal Rights we have resolved to turn up the heat and are looking forward to the battles ahead.

2008 is a week old and yesterday government offices returned back from the break.

So let the games begin!!

During the last couple of weeks the front page of the website has been very quiet but the forum has been busy so if you haven't been keeping up now would be a good time to take a look. 

Later today (right here) I'll be adding some exciting information all Australians need to be aware of. So if you have ever been unhappy with the direction our governments are taking us.

Keep watching. 

It is the time of year when all the government departments shut down for the holidays, so it's time for us to spend some well earned time with our loved ones to catch our breath, recharge our batteries and then prepare for the battle ahead.

Much has happened during 2007, we have made a great deal of progress.

The new year promises to be even busier, the time has come to unify all groups affected by the governments narrow minded, biased and environmentally damaging policy. Till now we have been individual groups raising our voice but being ignored.

Although our problems may be different, when you take a closer look it is amazing how much we have in common. United we will be heard.

Minorities and Ministers beware.