Please select your home edition
Edition
Melges 15
Product Feature
Ocean Signal EDF1 Distress Flare
Ocean Signal EDF1 Distress Flare

Fires and floods continuing to impact NSW waterways in Australia

by NSW Maritime 21 Feb 2020 23:35 GMT

NSW Maritime Executive Director Maritime Mark Hutchings today reassured the community recovery efforts on the NSW waterway network are well under way.

"The size of the job is considerable in re-establishing the network of navigation markers, clearing debris and salvaging boats following heavy rainfall, and in some cases flooding, combined with recent high tides," Mr Hutchings said.

"Never have we been faced by such a widespread clean up task.

"Normally when there is a flooding event it is localised to one area but this recent weather event has impacted waters right across NSW.

"The spike in navigation hazards represents a 2500 per cent increase in the normal workload and ranges from removing 100 kilogram trees from the bushfire-weakened banks of the Hawkesbury River to relocating channel markers which have travelled more than 50 kilometres on flood waters.

"On the Shoalhaven River, more than half of the 115 navigation markers, which indicate a channel or a hazard, needed to be adjusted or placed back in their correct location.

"Three separate channel markers, which have a 300 kilogram mooring block attached to a chain, travelled on flood waters about 50 kilometres along the Hawkesbury River - from Colo to within a kilometre of each other at Barr Point.

"In the past two weeks, the Maritime Environmental Services team has recovered the equivalent of 858 wheelie bins of floating debris, including 574 navigation hazards from Sydney Harbour and tributaries. During the whole month of January 166 cubic metres of rubbish was removed."

Mr Hutchings said the effects of recent bushfires were complicating the waterway recovery task.

"At Batemans Bay many of our stores of navigation markers which support the needs of the whole state were destroyed during bushfires - all of the plastic buoys melted," he said.

"There is still ash and bushfire debris swirling in waterways on the south coast, so it's important boat operators keep an eye on vessel intakes to ensure they don't get blocked and engines don't overheat."

Mr Hutchings said there was also an ongoing effort to remove multiple large established trees which had fallen into the Hawkesbury River in fast moving flood waters after bushfires had weakened their root systems.

"NSW Maritime is using a risk-based approach in terms of the order of dealing with debris in the water or boats which require salvaging," he said.

"We have contractor teams up and down the coast but they just can't be everywhere at once. We also have an obligation to give the owners of vessels a reasonable amount of time to rectify the situation - this can be 14 to 21 days."

Reports of navigation markers out of their original location, or vessels washed up on beaches or rocks are appreciated and can be made on 13 12 36.

NSW waterway and Navigation issues to be resolved:

  • Tweed River - 32
  • Clarence River - 15
  • Richmond River - 13
  • Hastings River - 27
  • Camden Haven - 7
  • Macleay River - 7
  • Lake Macquarie - 1
  • Manning River - 18
  • Wallis Lake - 3
  • Port Stephens - 2
  • Lake Macquarie - 1
  • Tuggerah Lakes - 1
  • Hawkesbury River - 16
  • Lane Cove River - 7
  • Port Jackson - 1
  • Botany Bay - 3
  • Georges River - 3
  • Upper Georges River - 3
  • Pittwater - 3
  • Lake Illawarra - 3
  • Batemans Bay - 4
  • Clyde River - 4
  • Moruya River - 10
  • Shoalhaven River - 78

Related Articles

Allen Brothers becomes full Clamcleat® Distributor
Building on a long-standing relationship between the two companies Allen Brothers, a leading manufacturer of performance sailing hardware, is pleased to announce an upgraded partnership with fellow British brand, Clamcleat®. Posted today at 11:36 am
FlyingNikka in Portofino for Regate di Primavera
The Maxi yachts season opener at Yacht Club Italiano The first event of the year is approaching for the full foiling monohull FlyingNikka, which will be in action from Friday to Sunday in Portofino at the Regate di Primavera, the season-opening event dedicated to Maxi yachts organized by the YC Italiano. Posted today at 11:13 am
Look after your health on and off the water
Win a Garmin Quatix® 7Pro + save 10% on BUPA Health Insurance The sailing season's back, and it couldn't come soon enough! After months off the water, people are pulling covers off boats, catching up with their crew, and getting set for weekends on the coast again. Posted today at 8:30 am
Jura Scottish Series on Loch Fyne Preview
At one month to go, entries are growing With just one month to go before the start of the Jura Scottish Series, historically the north of Britain's premier annual sailing regatta, entries continue to be received at an encouraging rate. Posted today at 7:13 am
Matosinhos-Porto set to host an exciting Fly-By
The Ocean Race Europe will come to Portugal this summer The Fly-By, during the second leg of the European race, will bring The Ocean Race back to Portugal with a strong focus to mobilise action for ocean health. Posted today at 6:45 am
Spectacular conditions forecast for ASW 2025
Strong tradewinds forecast for the 56th edition of Antigua Sailing Week The 56th edition of Antigua Sailing Week will start next week in spectacular fashion, with strong tradewinds forecast to provide adrenaline-packed sailing across nine classes. Posted today at 12:17 am
2025 RS Aero Europeans at Lake Garda Preview
110 sailors from 15 nations are set for racing at Circolo Vela Arco Everything is ready at Circolo Vela Arco for the start of the 2025 RS Aero European Championships, which will kick off on Wednesday, 24 April, on the stunning waters of northern Lake Garda. Posted on 23 Apr
56th Semaine Olympique Française de Hyères day 3
Epic Mistral baptises the next Olympic generation "Epic", "Crazy", "Nothing like it" and many words too colourful to include in a family press release sprang from the excited Mistral-lashed lips and sometimes stunned faces of those Olympic classes last back to the boat park. Posted on 23 Apr
RS Zest Top Features for Training Centres
Why the RS Zest is the Ultimate Choice for Sailing Training Innovation is the driving force behind RS Sailing's designs. The RS Zest was designed with one purpose in mind: to make learn-to-sail programs more effective, enjoyable, and accessible. Posted on 23 Apr
Transat Paprec Day 4
Elastic? Not so automatic! For the first time since the start of the race, gaps are beginning to form. Off the Portuguese coast, part of the fleet—led by DMG MORI Academy and Maël Garnier - Catherine Hunt —has found a stronger wind corridor and is breaking away at the front. Posted on 23 Apr