THE ever-worsening condition of the Halifax and Fly Point dive sites has prompted Councillor John Nell to call on the state government to act to protect the Port's marine environment and its multi-million dollar diving industry.
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At the last meeting of council on July 24 councillors passed a motion put by Cr Nell which requested the state government to "remove and and stop future build up of sand at the western end of Shoal Bay Beach and Halifax".
Mr Nell's comments come after a report from the Marine Parks Authority released last year identified dredging, sand removal and continued monitoring of the area at a cost of more than $3.62 million as the most cost effective solution to the problem.
Port Stephens MP Craig Baumann has so far failed to secure funding for the work but said NSW Marine Parks was still monitoring the site. He said he believed the area would eventually need to be dredged. Dr Ana Vila-Concejo is a scientist at the University of Sydney who led a geo-coastal research group of the area and recently held a presentation on the issue in Nelson Bay.
She suggested any solution would need to be made cautiously.
"As a scientist I would say further studies need to be done," she said.
"The only way to find a good solution is to find the reason, otherwise you're just reacting, not addressing the root problem."
"What I can say is from the data we have the sand movements in that area are natural...I think any solution should go with nature, rather than against it."
However Mr Nell believes the need to act on the problem of sand migration is becoming increasingly urgent.
"The proposition [from the report] was for some further studies to be done...and the state government looking at moving sand away before it goes around the corner [of Nelson Head]," Mr Nell said.
"[But they, the state government] are taking too much time talking."
Shane Murtagh is a co-owner of Feet First Dive in Nelson Bay and dives the site weekly, he said the site has changed immensely due to the sand movements but agreed with Dr Vila-Conjeco that caution was necessary with any decision.
"We have a few concerns with the proposed dredging to remove the sand [for example] what will this do to the surrounding marine areas?"
"If dredging is successful it could get rid of the sand and the dive site could come back...[but] other less evasive, les expensive solutions should be looked at to help the dive site."
