Gulf Harbour’s new boat ramp pontoon well received

The brand new pontoon for the boat tramp at Gulf Harbour will be a huge improvement to the safety of boaties who launch and retrieve boats.

That’s the view of Rodney’s mayor John Law who says the boat ramp – one of the few all-tide ramps in the district - is located outside of the breakwater and is a source of concern for the safety of people using it to launch and retrieve boats.

“People have been asking for a breakwater to be built to protect the boat ramp, but since this is quite an expensive solution and not immediately achievable, Rodney District Council has decided to address the issue in two stages. I am pleased that the first stage – the construction of a boat ramp pontoon – has been received so well. This will make boat handling much easier and safer,” says Mayor Law.

Paul Klinac, RDC Coastal Services Engineer, agrees; he says the new pontoon will provide better, safer use for at least 60 to 80% of the time, except during large storms, when the boat ramp is usually closed for public use.

Two thirds of the pontoon were completed in time for last weekend’s Gulf Harbour Fishing Competition, as that section could be built from the land. Mr Klinac says that the other third of the pontoon needs to be built from the water by barge. This will be done during December.

The pontoon will cost $240,000 at completion.

The building of a boat ramp pontoon had been approved by the Council at the end of July this year and funding was finalized during October.

“As part of that Council resolution the Council had also asked for a detailed report on the options for the construction of a breakwater as a follow-on stage,” says Mayor Law.

“This pontoon was a sensible and less expensive intermediate action to take and it improves safety drastically,” the Mayor concludes.

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