Kingston District Council, Naracoorte Community News
Following severe storms at the end of August 2024 which saw seven metre swells hit the coastline, significant sand ingress compromised safe navigation of vessels to and from the Cape Jaffa Marina. As a result, the commercial fishing fleet unfortunately had to transport to Robe to commence their annual fishing season.
Council undertook emergency works in September to remove a large amount of sand and sea wrack from the Marina mouth in an attempt to ensure the continued safe navigation for recreational and other vessels. Directional advice for mariners navigating the channel has been an effective measure until this week.
Unfortunately, in recent days further volumes of sand has accumulated and now made it impossible for any vessels to safely enter or exit the Marina mouth and therefore the Council has made the difficult decision to close the Marina to all vessels for an indefinite period of time, while strategies are investigated to enable re-opening as soon as possible. A Notice to Mariners has been issued by the Department for Infrastructure and Transport.
Council will meet on-site today (3 Oct 2024) with its engineering contractors, Maritime Constructions, who will work with Council to assess all options available which may include emergency dredging works.
Council has written to the Premier of South Australia seeking emergency assistance, and for this event to be considered in the same manner that any natural disaster (flood/fire etc) would be. In addition, Council is applying for funding under a Coast Protection Board grant to assist with future sand management.
Council spent almost $1m in early 2024, to move more than 75,000 cubic metres of sand with the intention this would mitigate the expected annual sand movement and management program. However, the extraordinary recent weather event has made the majority of that intensive program, now redundant. Council is seeking additional expert marine engineering advice on other potential strategies to ensure the Cape Jaffa Marina is navigable and to reduce the likelihood of closures into the future.
Council is very much aware of the business, tourism and community impacts this extraordinary event is having and Council is doing everything it possibly can to re-open the Marina for safe navigation.
In the interim, the faun trackway at Johnston Avenue Kingston will be deployed this week as an option for recreational boats to launch at this location. Other beach access points will also be cleared for those able to launch vessels from the beach.
This article appeared in the Naracoorte Community News.
