BOAT RAMP NEEDS FIXING

AS a recreational fisherman the condition of the Pt Richards boat ramp concerns me greatly. The ramps are often blocked with sea grass from the nor’-westerly and westerly winds, prevalent to the area. This facility, costing in excess of $400,000 is reasonably new and consultation with locals on location and the position of the rock groyne before it was built went largely ignored. Hence the final product is now under-utilised and is only suitable for use, when and after Bellarine Bayside decide to clean off the sea grass.

Post construction meetings were called with recreational fishers by the then CEO of Bellarine Bayside to discuss how the new ramps were performing. Most of the discussion surrounded the sea grass and solutions to rectify this issue. The facility has been operational for more than five years and nothing has been done.

I arranged a meeting on site with the Bellarine Bayside operations manager on May 27. He listened, explaining the facility was under-utilised. I pointed out some of the best fishing on the Bellarine was off Portarlington and the reason the facility was under-utilised was the low maintenance of the ramps.

The manager said Bellarine Bayside’s only plans for the area were fixing up the car park and surrounding areas and when this is done they will start charging fishermen to use the ramps.

My solution would be to extend the rock groyne at 45 degrees from the existing end to a point where it is beyond the old jetty around 60-70m. An even cheaper solution would be to drive steel pylons with about 500mm in between along the same line. The pylons would then catch the grass and sand, and build a natural sandbar to protect the harbour. Either method when installed would then naturally glide any sea grass and sand back down the bay.

Tim Robinson, Curlewis