Last week, Dwayne Cook, who fishes at the reserve once or twice a week, asked on Facebook how people could get the council to power-wash the boat ramp at dead low tide.

“It was slick and nearly unusable.  Every time it gets a bit of silt and slime on it, it become potentially dangerous,” he told the Wauchope Gazette, and suggested that the council inspect it once a month.

“Cleaning is cheaper than legal action for a fall,” he added.

Lawrence McIntyre wrote that he had a trailer and a 4x4 slip into the water last year.

“Nearly lost the lot. Once the wheels get on the slippery surface, you’re gone,” he warned.

June Bricknell complained that the council is spending money doing up Town Green and cleaning footpaths in Port Macquarie.

Deputy Mayor Lisa Intemann said the footpath cleaning and Town Green upgrade are paid by a levy on the property owners in the Port CBD, not from general rates.

Mandie Gill said she lost a vehicle and slipped on the ramp and broke her wrist on Fathers Day a few years ago.  She said she contacted the council who didn’t acknowledge her written complaint.

“I spoke to a man who said it was going to be cleaned a few weeks later for the holiday season.  What about the rest of the year, when us local ratepayers want to use it?” she asked.

Suzie Richards-Brown said there’s an app called Snap Send Solve that lets you take pictures of the problem and send it to the council.

“I have had success with some things and they always reply,” she wrote.

Cr Intemann wrote that Rocks Ferry boat ramp was cleaned by the council last Friday June 23.

“Council has the ramp scheduled for cleaning by a contractor every three months, depending on tides,” she added.

As for the floating pontoon planned for Rocks Ferry, Cr Intemann says it’s in for this financial year, but depends on a contribution from the NSW government also coming through.

To contact Port Macquarie Hastings Council, phone (02) 6581 8111 or email council@pmhc.nsw.gov.au