Does anyone know what is happening with the dredging at Safety Bay?
Has it happened?
Are they still dredging?
Haven't started yet?
Is the water all silted up and murky?
Have they ruined the sand bar?

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Windxtasy said...

Does anyone know what is happening with the dredging at Safety Bay?
Has it happened?
Are they still dredging?
Haven't started yet?
Is the water all silted up and murky?
Have they ruined the sand bar?

Drove past there today Anita. They haven't started yet.
There was a barge out earlier this year - ask slowboat, he found the submerged mooring lines. I think they were getting soil samples and plots for the channel.
If they were to dredge where the barge was located, it might not be too detrimental to the beaver as its at the start of the run. But it won't be the same.
So, no they haven't started or ruined the sand bar yet. The water is still a bit murky though.

Due to commence in May,
History shows there is always an end result from making adjustments to the ocean floor, what it does to this area remains to be seen.

Went for a walk there the other day on a really high tide and looked as though a bit of wave action would have made a proper channel through to the pond. Perhaps nature will run it's own course this winter.

I dont think the dredging will do much.
Have a look at how it was in 1839 according to John Septimus Roe - looks familiar!

Thats a great find Peter so where is the treasure!

I can also remember reading somewhere that Roe wrote [in 1839] that the sand bar to Penguin Island was 'vegetated with low scrub for its entire length'.

I think you'll find Peel Harbour was further down towards the old Waikiki pub site.

Interesting to see what comes of dredging.

From my perspective is current sandbar or what it was a few years ago seemed to suit all parties. - Windsurfers, boaters and kiters.

When the sandbar was still the original Tern Island, boats used to travel through the windsurfing / kiting area heading out to go fishing or coming in. This created a bit of a dangerous situation as the two don't mix that well. Now boats are forced to go slow I close due to the shallow water.

I have some old info relating to Safety Bay many years ago - I'll see if I can dig it up and post it - I sent it to the Council a few years back - they weren't interested - they know it all!!

It's the exact same geomorphological feature wayneg and its pretty much the same location. It is fed from an offshore sediment supply. Look at Roe's chart and you'll see the line he has drawn from third (?) rock to indicate the shallow area contour that is still there today. Also note that 170+ years ago Warnbro Sound had a significantly different morphology - I don't think Roe got it wrong. All the rest of his work was spot on!
Cheers

Sooo, where's the kite boarders rigging space?

Anyone know if they've started work yet?

Went through there yesterday, they still hadn't started. What they have done though is put division bouys in, down the length of the pond

Latest news on dredging channel at the pond Safety Bay.
attended MIAC meeting last night on behalf of SBWC, the council was waiting on funding proposal to be approved. This has been approved and the council has familiarised interested tenderers with the site. Work is expected to commence soon with DEC requiring the work to be completed by the end of September.
Dave h SBWC

Thanks for the update Dave, be interesting to see the end result.

Wayneg, 25

Interestingly the area now bounded by Hawker St and June Rd was once a swampy area which would tie in with the chart?

Also wayneg i'd be interested to know and see what historical info you have re Safety Bay?
I have lived locally since 1981 and snorkelled, swum, windsurfed, ridden my bike from the Waimea boat ramp into the water at Safety Bay since then !
I rememmber rigging at the yacht club and having a great run all the way across to the weed bank, when Tern Island would also disappear totally at high tide too...

I have video from New Years day 2000 i shot from the yacht club grass which clearly shows the sand bar still not joined.

I also remember the conjested run from the sand bar to the jetty, but it was fun for jumping !

Oh and isn't it dunger isalnd ? ;)

Dredging has begun in the pond.
The car park is full of sea containers and the dredging barge is anchored in possibly the worst place for Seabreezers.
West of the jetty and inside the pond.
I'll post some photos tomorrow.

And they're working from now till December

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Stuthepirate said..

Dredging has begun in the pond.
The car park is full of sea containers and the dredging barge is anchored in possibly the worst place for Seabreezers.
West of the jetty and inside the pond.
I'll post some photos tomorrow.

I was hoping they had changed their mind...

Lets wait until the most busy months of the year and then we will start work.

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Gonewindsurfing247 said..
Lets wait until the most busy months of the year and then we will start work.

Rockingham council will probably be able to drag it out over summer with the addition of a couple of roundabouts. They're getting real good at them now.

As you might be able to tell from these photos.
They could not have place it in a worse position.
















This is the exract taken from the link westozwind provided:

"The Bent St Navigation Channel Capital Dredging works will commence offshore from the Bent St Boat Launching Facility during September 2013 with completion scheduled in December 2013.

The navigation channel dimensions are; 300m x 30m x ??? 1.6cd (chart datum).

The works shall be carried out by Cutter Suction Dredge which dredged material to be used to nourish foreshores within close proximity to the dredging site in Warnbro Sound.

The Bent St Boat Ramp will remain operational and available for public use throughout most of the project. However, there will be some disruption and the City apologises for any short term inconvenience that may result.

These works are essential to the ongoing improvements and upgrading of the City???s marine infrastructure to meet the safety needs of boat owners and improving access to the coast.

This project has been funded by the Department of Transports Recreational Boating Facilities Scheme."

Seems to me the council took in the safety needs of boat owners whilst transitting but not the needs of all other recreational users of the pond itself.

Such a pity it was allowed to go ahead, Rocko already has plenty of boat launching facilities I still fail to see why they had to waste so many millions of dollars on a boat ramp with such a limited amount of parking. Just goes to show how powerful the stink boat and fishing industries must be.
If they do put the channel in where the dredge was this arvo the speed run should not be too heavily effected. But their new channel will be filled up again next winter

Is there an exclusion zone around the barge when its parked up at all?

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Subsonic said...
Is there an exclusion zone around the barge when its parked up at all?

Cancel that. I can see the bouys in your photos after a second look

Ask Slowboat what happens when you cut through the exclusion zone markers.
New fins anybody?

Yes, I've heard about his run, apparently speed fins aren't capable of cutting through steel cables.

how long do you think it will take before a kite is hooked to that barge :)

7 mins from launching

Such a pity l have fond memories of that place in the late 90s & early 0ts. Remember doing downwinders along the weed bank sailing across the bay no kiterers in the way.

Such a pity l have fond memories of that place in the late 90s & early 0ts. Remember doing downwinders along the weed bank sailing across the bay no kiterers in the way.

So Safety Bay locals, is the dredge still parked at the entrance to the pond?
Is the speed strip over the sand bar and the area between the point and the sand bar still free of obstructions other than kiters?