The fate of a $226,000 breakwater at the Binalong Bay boat ramp appears to be in the hands of Marine and Safety Tasmania after Break O'Day Council decided against taking ownership of the proposed infrastructure.
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The Binalong Bay Community Group has been readying the proposal for several years in an effort to improve safety at the Binalong Bay boat ramp, but the absence of a willing owner could cripple the project.
Binalong Bay Community Group president Phillip Frith said the instalment of a breakwater was crucial to ensuring the safety of boat owners not familiar with the area.
Mr Frith said while at low tide an existing offshore reef provided some protection for the ramp, waves often broke onto the ramp at medium to high tide, making it difficult for boats to enter or exit the water.
“Sometimes you can't bring your boat in there because it's unsafe – for people that don't know the area it’s very dangerous,” Mr Frith said.
“There have been a number of accidents there; no-one's been killed but we're really getting concerned about all that.”
Both MAST and the Break O’Day Council have shown strong support for the breakwater going ahead, however neither organisation has put its hand up to assume responsibility for the ongoing maintenance of the infrastructure.
Mr Frith said he suspected maintenance costs would be minimal.
“We don't believe that there's any ongoing maintenance at all because it'll just be another pile of rocks.
As long as they're placed correctly, they're two tonnes each rock so they won't move or wash over or all those sorts of things.”
Break O'Day mayor Mick Tucker said while the council fully supported the breakwater, the offshore location of the infrastructure meant MAST was the logical owner.
"Obviously the breakwater should be built, we all agree with that," Cr Tucker said.
"But realistically it's a piece of MAST infrastructure, not council, as it's out in the water.
"It's not really council's normal infrastructure that we would automatically take ownership of to maintain.
"Our decision is to write to MAST and support that they take over ownership of the breakwater."