At the last council meeting in July, Birdon Pty Ltd was chosen as the preferred tenderer to dredge the Lower Myall River.

Work was scheduled to be carried out between August and October this year.

However, in an email seen by the Examiner to Myall River Action Group member Gordon Grainger and Port Stephens MP Craig Baumann, the council’s manager of natural systems, Gerard Tuckerman, said the risks in completing the dredge by October were ‘‘unacceptable’’ and work would begin in May 2015.

‘‘From a council perspective, we are in no position to appoint the preferred dredging contractor,’’ Mr Tuckerman said in the email. ‘‘The risk associated with completing the project by 31st October are unacceptable.’’

Mr Tuckerman listed six reasons as to why the project needed to be pushed back to May 2015, including that the council was waiting on final confirmation of funding from Crown Land and the Office of Environment and Heritage’s Coastal Program Grant.

He said the council was waiting for licence approvals from Crown Land and the NSW Environment Protection Authority.

Mr Tuckerman said the council was unable to get insurance on the dredging work due to high risk that the project will not be completed by October 31.

Mr Grainger said the decision was an ‘‘absolute bloody disgrace’’.

‘‘It is most disappointing to learn that these delays can be laid to pure inefficiencies contained within the respective departments and who are charged with looking at the overall good of the community,’’ he said.

‘‘In private business, such inefficiencies would not be tolerated.’’

The delay until May 2015 will mark two years since the state government put $1 million towards the project.

Mr Grainger said this latest development would damage the public’s confidence in the council and state government.