More Money for Taree Dredging Projects

Greater Taree City Council has been successful in obtaining $70,000 in State Government funding to undertake maintenance dredging of the local waterways to improve access and navigation for boaters.

The funding is being provided through the “NSW Rescuing our Waterways Program” and will be matched dollar for dollar with funds raised through Council’s environmental levy.

The dredging will be undertaken in partnership with the Farquhar Inlet Management Group (FIMG), a not-for-profit community group who through funding efforts purchased their own dredger to assist Council and the State Government in maintaining safe waterways for boaters.

Waterways that will benefit from this recent round of funding include the South Channel at Oxley Island, the Farquhar Inlet and sections of the Harrington Backchannel. These sites have all been identified as priorities in the “Manning River Maintenance Dredging Strategy”.

Council’s Senior Leader of Strategic Planning Richard Pamplin said that undertaking this planned maintenance dredging is critical to sustaining recreational and commercial boating opportunities in the Manning River, both of which are important to tourism and the future growth of the region.

“Dredging can also result in a range of water quality benefits by improving environmental flows, which are extremely important to recreational and commercial fishers, and the oyster and tourism industries,” he added.

President of FIMG, Bill Nelson, said: “This is a great outcome for the local residents of the Manning Valley and we thank Council for their continued support. The funding will enable us to extend the successful dredging operations recently undertaken within Scotts Creek and Cowans Channel at Farquhar Inlet and address the long-term issue of shoaling within the Harrington Backchannel, which will be great news for local boaters.”

Works are planned to commence early next year once Council has undertaken an environmental assessment and receives all of the necessary permits and planning approvals.

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Press Release