Fishers Campaign For Nambucca River Dredging

[mrmoshe]

Fishers campaign for Nambucca River dredging

Local fishermen in Nambucca Heads say lives will continue to be put at risk while the New South Wales Government considers whether to provide funding to dredge the Nambucca River.

A delegation from Nambucca Shire Council travelled to Sydney last week to meet the Minister for Lands, Tony Kelly.

A spokesman for Mr Kelly says the Nambucca River has now been included in a list of 39 locations in need of dredging.

He says a decision about which locations will be given funding is unlikely to be made for at least a month.

The secretary of the Nambucca Heads Offshore Fishing Club, Rhett Smyth, says it is becoming increasingly dangerous.

"One boat has upturned, the other one has gone directly into the northern breakwall of the Nambucca Bar," he said.

"Both boats have been extensively damaged, one guy seriously injured and ended up in Coffs Harbour Hospital. The other guy on Shelly Beach lost thousands of dollars of equipment. This is not to mention time off the water where they're not making an income."