The funding comes as Lake Cathie business owners expressed their concern over a decrease in people visiting the Lake Cathie area and the toll it has taken on their income. 

On January 19 Minister for Lands and Forestry Paul Toole, Member for Port Macquarie Leslie Williams and Port Macquarie-Hastings Council Mayor Peta Pinson announced $350,000 would be allocated for the dredging project.

Mrs Williams said $175,000 had been provided through the NSW Government’s Rescuing Our Waterways program. Port Macquarie-Hastings Council has also contributed $175,000. 

“This funding will help improve the accessibility, health and safety of Lake Cathie, which is enjoyed by recreational and commercial users throughout the year,” Mrs Williams said. 

“This grant will allow Port Macquarie-Hastings Council to complete a detailed environmental impact assessment and the dredging of 21,000 cubic metres within Lake Cathie. 

“The dredged sand will then be utilised for foreshore amenity improvement and beach nourishment.”

Mrs Williams said some of the dredged sand will be used to repair the existing erosion damage at the foreshore reserve. 

“We’ll also used some of the sand round at Illaroo Road,” she said. 

“Obviously that is a coastal erosion hotspot and it’s very much on council’s and my radar particular in regards to the process in planning for a revetment wall in the future.” 

“In the meantime it’s great we can utilise the sand from the lake to make sure we continue to rehabilitate that area as well.” 

At this stage it is not known when the dredging work will take place.

“We’ll be working with council and we’ll be seeing the assessments which have to take place in the first instance,” Mr Toole said. 

Mrs Williams said in terms of timing it is important to understand the Lake Cathie is a natural waterway. 

“Not only will it depend on the studies and environmental assessments which have to happen in the first place but also what the condition of the lake is at that particular time,” she said. 

Cr Pinson said the timing would also depend on the availability of the dredging equipment to undertake the significant work. 

Under the Port Macquarie-Hastings Council strategy for managing the lake, it will only be opened when the lake height reaches 1.6m Australian Height Datum (AHD), there is poor water quality or when high lake levels threaten breeding cycles of critical habitat.  

Cr Pinson said council would review its strategy to open the lake to the ocean. 

“Upon that review we’ll make a decision if any changes need to be made,” she said. 

Mr Toole said over $1 million has been allocated to councils across the state for essential dredging projects in the latest round of funding. 

“All coastal councils are eligible to apply for up to 50 per cent of the cost of dredging projects under the Rescuing Our Waterways Program,” he said. 

Mr Toole said since 2014 over $15 million had been invested in dredging projects across NSW. 

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