A COMMUNITY stink is brewing over the rotten smell drifting across Port MacDonnell and the clogged channel in the township’s busy commercial rock lobster harbour.
The issue was among the key issues raised at a Grant District Council meeting at the seaside town amid growing concerns from the township’s commercial rock lobster fleet.
Fed up commercial fishers claim they are having difficulty accessing the fuel station given the mounting seaweed, sand and rubbish in the “shallow” harbour.
The call comes more than 10 years since the channel was last dredged by the transport department, which has collected $1m in mooring fees over 11 years from 60 commercial boats.
It is understood this material in the harbour is also the cause of a putrid smell drifting across Port MacDonnell.
In a letter to council, the Port MacDonnell Professional Fisherman’s Association warns the situation was a looming “disaster” for the community if boats could not get in and out of the harbour and re-fuel.
“The association believes there should be a meeting of all stakeholders regarding the condition and the future of the breakwater,” the letter said.
“The amount of the harbour becoming dried up, stagnant and emitting an extremely pungent smell is increasing each year.”
According to fishers, the boats are hitting the bottom of the harbour and the vessels’ sieves were being filled with sand and weed.
Council will now write to the transport department and the newly appointed Liberal Marshall Government seeking a commitment for a dredging program.
Elected member Gill Clayfield – who is also the secretary of the Port MacDonnell Professional Fisherman’s Association – said the issue needed action given the impact on the fishing fleet and the stench drifting across houses in the town.
“The harbour is becoming built up with weed and sand and when that happens boat motors can overheat,” the councillor told the meeting.
Cr Clayfield said some fishers who had completed their quota have had trouble getting their boats out of the harbour given the build-up of “rubbish”.
“The whole harbour is becoming very shallow and there is also now a terrible smell for residents who live in the houses along the foreshore because there is not enough water in the harbour,” the councillor said.
Fellow councillor Alan Hill described the situation as a “disgrace” and questioned why the department had allowed the build-up in the harbour channel to occur.
He said fishers had ploughed nearly $1m into mooring fees in the past decade and questioned what the transport department had done with the money.
Cr Hill urged council to write a “very strong letter” to the department and the newly elected Liberal Government to “point out” the issue.
“There is no better opportunity for a new minister to gain points in this area,” he said.
“If we do not get any success, I believe this should become a public issue to support the fishermen.”
Cr Hill said the commercial rock lobster fleet was important to the district’s economy and “we should make a noise about it”.
“This is not right and as far as I am concerned it needs to be fixed,” he said.
Council works manager Adrian Schutz said a number of fishers had approached him regarding the issue.
“I have had several phones calls from people concerned about the area where they fuel up and weed getting sucked into their motors,” Mr Schutz said.
He said something needed to be done in the “near future” and urged the transport department to start working on the issue.
Mr Schutz said no money had yet been earmarked by the transport department for dredging works.
Council will invite the transport minister and employment minister as well as Member for Mount Gambier Troy Bell to inspect the boat ramp and harbour area.
