Gold Coast waterways and businesses are concerned about the dangerous shallow bar that threatens not only there business but the lives of boaters on the water.
State Government funding is urgently needed to dredge the sand deposits on Gold Coast's popular bar crossings, local fishing industry identities raised fears that a fatality was imminent on the treacherous Tweed bar unless sand was taken from the river mouth.
At least three boats have overturned on Tweed bar in the past month.
Currumbin VMR president, Peter Saunders said bars at entrances to Tallebudgera and Currumbin creeks were virtually unnavigable on the low tide because of sand.
Mr Saunders said the situation at Currumbin was highlighted by an incident in March during which a VMR crew went out to sea to tow a boat to safety only to find they could not re-enter the creek because the tide had dropped and the sand build-up was blocking the entrance. He said the Currumbin bar was so bad on the outgoing tide VMR could not respond to emergencies, and State Government money for dredging was needed urgently.
The State Government refuses to dredge the creek mouths, stating they are not recognised as 'navigable waterways'.
Currently the annual funding for a ‘dredging program’ is around 1.5 million which is said to be no-where near the $20-30 million needed to do the job properly.
