Wharf Rd ramp Sydney to close

[mrsswordfisherman]

https://fishingworld.com.au/uncategorized/sydneys-wharf-rd-boat-ramp-to-close/

Ermington Boat Ramp at Melrose Park

[Little_Flatty]

Might have a word with the new candidates for the upcoming election. That ramp is five mins from my place and it would be a shame for it to close. Any of my (admittedly lukewarm) boat ownership aspirations were dependent on the presence of that ramp.

[dunc333]

all bunch of idiots .it should not be used as a staging point for the new bridge .make your own .bloody disgrace and just a up yours to all the boating community in sydney .we should be building new ramps not closing them .please all boaters we need to stop this .they dont care .please raiders contact transport for nsw this week 

[noelm]

That article states it's only going to be closed for 3 years, any closure is not ideal, but sometimes things just need to be done! Before anyone throws rocks at me, let's be perfectly clear, I don't know the area, don't use the ramp and probably never will, just kind of saying, now and then we have to put up with inconvenience for long term gain.

[XD351]

If there was a guarantee that when the works have been completed that there would be a big 4 or 6 lane ramp with twin pontoons built and a big car Park then the hassles it will cause may be lessened . As far as I’m concerned NSW is the laughingstock of the entire country when it comes to access to our waterways. I can guarantee that if we had to pay to use this ramp ( like Bayview ) there would be no closure because the council would kick up a stink because they would be losing revenue! They only care about the things they can make money from.

[noelm]

10 hours ago, XD351 said:

If there was a guarantee that when the works have been completed that there would be a big 4 or 6 lane ramp with twin pontoons built and a big car Park then the hassles it will cause may be lessened . As far as I’m concerned NSW is the laughingstock of the entire country when it comes to access to our waterways. I can guarantee that if we had to pay to use this ramp ( like Bayview ) there would be no closure because the council would kick up a stink because they would be losing revenue! They only care about the things they can make money from.

Yes agree....kind of, if there was a fee, then we would be whinging about having to pay to use a boat ramp! There is no perfect answer, everyone wants a nice boat ramp close by, but the reality is, it's just not possible, land (prime waterfront of course, being a boat ramp) is rare, and lots of people would prefer a park or walking track to a noisey boat ramp (not us of course) then add a big parking area, and a lot of land is tied up for a single purpose. Let's be clear, I am not really disagreeing, just offering an opinion on how some councils think and act.

[XD351]

In recent years the council has remediated the area and there is a walking/ cycling path that runs from Parramatta to Meadowbank with plenty of parks and green space’s in between so there are plenty of places for the general public to go . The area where the car park is located is at the end of an industrial area ( one side of the road and residential on the other but is located under power lines so building houses there wouldn’t be possible. The main issue is that the council shouldn’t have anything to do with boat ramps - should be RMS , Service NSW , Waterways or whatever name they go by now ( seems to change a lot ) . We are paying for registration, licences, fishing fees etc but it is getting increasingly difficult to use the gear we pay for as the access to the water is slowly being dwindled away .

[noelm]

As I said, I am not disagreeing as such, it's just how "things" go with government issues, 100 new boats ramps would suit me, but, it's just never going to happen! My area is at best moderately served with boat ramps, some OK, some suitable only for (say) Kayaks. Most decent ramps are full every weekend, I can only imagine being in Sydney and trying to launch.

Edited March 4, 2023 by noelm

[zmk1962]

10 minutes ago, XD351 said:

The main issue is that the council shouldn’t have anything to do with boat ramps - should be RMS , Service NSW , Waterways or whatever name they go by now ( seems to change a lot ) . We are paying for registration, licences, fishing fees etc but it is getting increasingly difficult to use the gear we pay for as the access to the water is slowly being dwindled away .

You are spot on Ian. I have called DPI and had a chat to them about this ramp. The issue is the local councils are responsible for the ramps and they are under pressure to shut them down or get rid of facilities such as fish cleaning tables as some local residents object to the traffic, noise and smell. The fact is many boaters using the facilities are not local residents- but their vote means nothing to the local council. 
In my view these facilities (access points to water) should be state run - they are a limited resource like national parks to be made accessible for all the state’s residents. 
We should be pushing for this ownership at a state level as that is where our combined vote will count. 
cheers Zoran
 

[noelm]

The reply above us what I was talking about, it's a very difficult issue, so many parties involved, local non boaters, boaters, fisherfolk, tourists, council, RMS (or their current name) various marine stakeholders, public works, state government and on and on, add them all together and it's a minefield of red tape and opposing views/priorities.

[dunc333]

i live down the river near drummoyne .our boat ramp is a shit fight now on weekends .and now all those boaters who go to wharf rd have to go to drummoyne or putney which has just been done up but useless in a n easter or when a river cat goes past and has about 15 spots for trailers .since covid boat regos have exploded in nsw and our infustructure in the harbour is decreasing before our eyes.sure there happy to take your cash but now maritme is transport for nsw the money goes to any thing but the boat user . we have a election coming up and in my area the last  elected bloke is not allowed in parliment and hates boats and moved 100m from the boat ramp so cant talk to him and the new ladys on the placards everywhere i have not seen out in public yet  cheers dunc333

[Blackfish]

There is a Boat ramp at Silverwater just across the river.

Nowwwwwwwwwww I'm not saying they should close Melrose Park ramp which they should think of some sort of a compromise.

But they should think of the Boating community ...... as they vote.

[jeffb5.8]

On 3/7/2023 at 7:47 PM, Blackfish said:

There is a Boat ramp at Silverwater just across the river

Not a great ramp and the wharf is even worse as its fixed, not floating and gets very slimy, then you have a river cat running close by,

so, if you a going solo you have to time it your launch / retrieve correctly otherwise the wash will hammer your boat while you're getting your trailer.

Edited March 12, 2023 by jeffb5.8

[XD351]

And there is nearly no parking there - never was much but now they have built a cricket academy there it is now worse than ever. Councils look at boat ramps as an expense and want us to pay an exorbitant fee for parking  , our rego and fishing fee should be covering this . This is why all boat ramps should be controlled by RMS. the only thing the council should be looking after at a boat ramp is the bins and the grass - which RMS would pay them to do.