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Business View Australia - January-February 2016 21
INFRASTRUCTURE
there is only clearance of 1.2 metres.
Council has recognised that unless im-
mediate action is taken, access to the
harbour will continue to be difficult.
The treacherous navigation of the
barway poses a real threat to human
life. In December 2014, a man died
in a boating incident when his vessel
got caught in rough conditions when
attempting to navigate the St Helens
barway near Burns Bay.
The fishing vessels based in St
Helens also face restricted access to
the harbour because of the build-up
of sand in the navigation channel at
Pelican Point. Council has been work-
ing with Marine and Safety Tasmania
(MAST) and has arrived at a solution to
this intractable problem that has been
plaguing St Helens harbour for many
years.
The Council with input from MAST de-
termined the best way to make the har-
bour safe is to extend the existing re-
taining wall and build a groin at Pelican
Point which will actively divert water
through the channel and thereby mit-
igating sand build-up. Agitation work
within the channel would also be re-
quired to remove some of the existing
sand build-up. When this work is car-
ried out, the viability of the fishing and
tourism industries would be increased
due to the easier and safer navigation
of the barway into the St Helens Har-
bour. .
The $2.3 million project will be fi-
nanced jointly by MAST, the state gov-
ernment and Council. MAST have al-
ready earmarked $850,000, the state
government has added $1.3 million in
its last budget with Council putting up
the remaining $200,000.
Mountain bike trail
Break O’Day Council teamed up with
Dorset Council to promote Stage 1 of
Mountain bike trail
St Helens Barway