14-07-2025
Yorke Peninsula Council reviews $3.8m Marion Bay boat ramp over safety concerns
The Sea Rescue Squadron responsible for one of South Australia's most popular fishing spots is boycotting a new $3.8 million boat ramp, labelling it "dangerous" to sailors and vessels.
Edithburgh Sea Rescue Squadron commander Brian Klingberg is among waterway users who have urged Yorke Peninsula Council to improve the safety of the new boat ramp at Marion Bay.
While the council defended its consultation process, on Friday it agreed to reopen the old ramp as an temporary solution.
It came after councillors voted last Wednesday to remove the new ramp's wave attenuation wall, which was supposed to reduce water movement, a change that will result in wider entry ways.
The council will also look to raise the height of the central walkway between the two ramps which, according to a report presented at the meeting, "appears to be blocking the natural flow of sand and seaweed … leading to a build-up".
The report also said $303,000 was left in the budget, but a quote was still being sought for further works.
It remains unclear how much more money will be spent to improve the new design.
Construction on the new ramp finished in April, two years after the state government chipped in $3.04 million of the total cost.
However, Recreational Fishing SA executive officer Asher Dezsery said he was aware of at least six fishers who damaged their vessels within a fortnight of opening.
Mr Dezsery said the biggest problem was posed by the pylons on either side of the walkway, which formed part of the "wave attenuation wall", but created a collision hazard in rough weather.
The project includes two ramps either side of a walkway, one measuring four metres wide and the other six metres wide.
"You don't have any movement or forgiveness as such, because you've got those poles and the pontoon itself," he said.
"When you've got a really big boat, and some of these boats are worth $500,000 or $600,000, you've got nowhere to go.
He added that RecFish SA was not approached for its opinion about the final design.
Mr Klingberg, a Sea Rescue member of more than 20 years, described it as a "crushing hazard".
"Not being an engineer, I think what they should have done is involve the locals down there," he said.
"There are plenty of people who have used those facilities for 30, 40 years, and they're the ones who should have been consulted.
"We didn't know anything about the design until it was all there."
A Yorke Peninsula Council spokesperson said between August and September 2022, "more than 200 individuals who had previously corresponded with council about the ramp were contacted directly".
"A media release was also issued via the council's website and promoted through Facebook, reaching more than 27,000 people and resulting in over 650 visits to the project webpage," the spokesperson said.
"Council received 39 formal submissions. Of these, 56 per cent supported the concept design, 26 per cent opposed it, and 18 per cent provided neutral or mixed feedback.
According to the council's website, two years' worth of coastal modelling data was also obtained before construction commenced.
Marion Bay Rentals owner Brett Davies was pleased the old ramp had been reopened, given the algae bloom was already hurting business.
"We've had a number of guests that have been coming down for 10 years, and I've had three of them state that they won't come back because of the ramp," Mr Davies said.
"I've had quite a few phone calls where guests are asking me if the boat ramp is safe to launch and my answer is, 'If you're launching by yourself, it's going to be a challenge'.
"We're 60 per cent down [in bookings] from the same period last year, and I'm not saying that's all because of the ramp, but going forward, I think time will tell, and I think it will have a huge impact if people think they're going to damage their boats."
The ABC also contacted SA Police asking if water rescue officers had voiced safety concerns, but a spokesperson declined to comment.
