A Game Changer for the Bay CBD

A Community Proposal has been developed which recommends the installation of 200 meters of floating pontoon parallel to Clyde Street in the Bay’s CBD. This will improve the access to and from the water, rejuvenate and reactivate this area. It is downstream of the new bridge adjacent to the proposed viewing platform at the site of the old bridge. These pontoons extend toward the Promenade and give extra capacity for all form of vessels, cruise ship tenders, ferries, kayaks, fishing charters, visiting yachts and even seaplanes for scenic tours.

This goes much further than the John Holland’s proposed two pontoons but builds on the work that they have committed to. It moves the focus further into the CBD to the Promenade and address the issue of Clyde Street becoming a dead-end road.
It is recommended that the current concrete T-Wharf be modified and the end section removed to allow a movable on-ramp to extend from the shore to the floating pontoons secured to the sea-bed via integrated vertical piles. The pontoons will be 4 meters wide and run parallel to the shore right down to the start of the Promenade walkway. There will be a wide break in the middle so boats, kayaks and canoes may travel inside the pontoons and come alongside at any state of the tide. The second on-ramp will be at the Ampol wharf – outside the Starfish Deli to give access to the downstream section.

A secondary site specifically designed for smaller vessels and particularly seaplanes will be constructed at the current Mara Mia Walkway Pier viewing platform down stream from the start of the Promenade.
The pontoons are not only a marine infrastructure but a nucleus, in fact a Game Changer, for further business development, entertainment opportunities and information dissemination. This could become the hub for an all year round tourist location looking towards the water and Bay and not to the car parks and concrete.
The proposal could be funded partly from Dept. of Lands and Dept. of Transport – Maritime Boating Licence fees and other sources but could be the nucleus for further initiatives consistent with a number of Strategies and Action Plans adopted and proposed by the Shire and other bodies for the South Coast.

Long on-ramp at Bermagui

This proposal goes much further than the current suggestion in that it enhances the water land interface, provides increased capacity and improves access to the CBD for the boating and on-water community. It is designed for safety, functionality and disability access.

Kiama ocean pontoons

It will provide a catalyst for the activation and revitalisation of the area and bringing tourist and local expedition based activities right in to the heart of the Bay with:

• Facilities for Cruise Ship tenders
• Ferry rides up the Clyde
• Oyster information tours to leases
• Bird observation tours
• Fishing trips
• Sail the Bay excursions
• Seaplane scenic flights locally or further afield
• Kayak and canoe hire offerings
• Revitalise the on-land area via pop-up activities such as music events, produce markets, art displays and fishing demos and displays.

The document proposes a primary and secondary site, gives the parameters and estimated costs of the structure and the installation. It answers many of the questions encountered while developing it. The justification to do something in this area is widespread and has been included in many other documents. The next step is to get acceptance and funding.

The Game Changer document can be downloaded here.

T-Wharf - Location of start of floating pontoons

Batemans Bay Bridge Urban Design and Landscape Plan

The local Member for Bega and Minister of Transport announced last week the closing down of the Bay Bridge Foreshore Advisory Committee (FAC) – holding a large photo of the proposed concrete T-Wharf and pontoons. This was a great disappointment for many of the community members of FAC. We have seen better alternatives at a FAC meetings earlier in the year.

This is a start and has some advantages but does not go far enough to improve the water land interface. The advantages are that the T-wharf pontoons put that area of the CBD front and center in the public's mind about the impact the new bridge will have on the Bay Foreshore.

John Holland and others proposes we maintain a 40 year old concrete wharf with no facilities and dangerous piers and append to each side some ill-designed floating pontoons with steel or concrete piles on the outside.
A cruise ship tender will not fit between the piles so the gap between vessel and pontoon is too wide for anyone to step off. Yes, mind the gap.
The on-ramp dominate the pontoons just waiting for some child to crawl under and be trapped as the pontoon moves up with the tide or passing ferry.

The Ministers statement includes “The existing T-wharf will be retained for those who currently require the fixed structure including local businesses and fishing groups.” Who are these local business and which fishing groups? The dive boat operator who has a mooring adjacent to the T-Wharf has been given his matching orders with no opportunity to return. So lets get these vested interest identified and ask why do they and not the FAC have such influence.

If you go to the interactive map (who paid for that extravagance?) Clyde Street will become a dead-end – yes a Cul-de-Sac. There are no on or off access roads from the new bridge like there are now. To get to the current boatramp you have to travel down North Street turn left under the new bridge – and then what? Turn into the reduced parking area and try to turn to back your trailer down the boat ramp. It is possible but exceptionally difficult. Gone is the turning road, preparation area and wash down section. Yes we have gone backwards.

What will happen to an interstate bus wanting to access the foreshore? Turn left into Clyde Street, negotiate a calming mini roundabout and proceeded to the dead end to attempt to turn and exit back past the CBD. Where will these buses park and take on passengers? We don't know because the traffic flow analysis has not been released.

The statement on Friday by the Minister flanked by those with direct interest in the foreshore was a big step backwards for the fishing and boating community. The local business particularly those with access from Clyde Street will have to be asking questions. Why is this major development in the Bay so ordinary and lacks vision and initiative? How will this improve the tourist economy of the Bay? What signature location will get them to stop and not continue southwards?

The FAC put forward many ideas – a viewing platform at the apex of the new bridge, lift towers for improved disability access to the bridge, moving the southern boatramp from under the shadow of the bridge to the west of Lions Park to name a few just on the south side.

This announcement while welcome will now give the community the opportunity to comment and show there concerns about how ordinary and lacking in vision the proposed foreshore is going to become. This is a missed opportunity to revitalize the CBD, make it a hub for tourist to want to come too. How about opening a tourist information Kiosk, a local produce display centre, a starting point for oyster information tours or sail the bay or whale watching expeditions?

That will not happen from this proposed wharf and pontoon. Lets extend the pontoons down stream for 200 m to the Promenade with a break in the middle for kayaks, canoes and smaller vessel to come inside. Make the pontoons wide so people can fish from them and add lights water and other facilities to attract yachts and passing vessels.

The Association submitted a comprehensive document “A Game Changer for the Bay CBD” to the Minister last week highlighting how adding the extended pontoons correctly designed could activate and rejuvenate this area of the CBD. We wait his response. The Shire and community will get the opportunity to comment on the Association’s proposal.

Batemans Bay Independent Coastal Impact Assessment

What happened to the GHD "Wave Study"? or to give it its real name Batemans Bay Independent Coastal Impact Assessment.
Yes the one that was going to address the concerns of the Surfside Community about the new bridge's larger piles contributing to the down stream erosion on the North Shore. It was also used to close down discussion about extending floating pontoons downstream from the modified T-Wharf.

The study was completed in March - it may well have been peer reviewed by an "American Professor" but it is not freely available to the wider public. Why?

And what of Stage Two? Any truly independent targeted study would have answered many outstanding questions and given quantitative data plus highlighting the difficulties of building any structure on sand let alone a boat ramp in a locally known shifting sand area. Or is that just another sop to the locals boat owners to keep them in line?

The RMS Batemans Bay Independent Coastal Impact Assessment  Stage One – Impacts of the Batemans Bay Bridge Replacement Project  March 2019 has been reviewed and submitted to the Executive Director of Dept of Transport for NSW in the form of a Critical Analysis which may be read Critical Analysis of GHD Stage 1 Assessment