Marine Discovery Centre receives funds for Terrigal Lagoon pathway
THE Central Coast Marine Discovery Centre is entering a new and exciting chapter, with funding to build a pathway around Terrigal lagoon and plans to have exclusive footage of the ex HMAS Adelaide.
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A PATHWAY around Terrigal Lagoon, live feed to the ex HMAS Adelaide and further expansion is on the cards for The Central Coast Marine Discovery Centre.
The Centre has received $500,000 funding over the next two years from Central Coast Council to build a 2km pathway around the lagoon.
Funding will include clearing weeds and building the pathway, which will include boardwalks, a water watch platform and educational signage.
“The great thing is that when we look around the lagoon there’s quite a lot of endangered ecological communities,” Centre chairman John Asquith said.
“There are a lot of communities of plants and animals that exist together. Migratory birds rely on
places like this to feed and breed Terrigal Lagoon has 65 species of bird recorded. We are hoping that as this trail develops, people will be able to see the bird life.”
Mr Asquith said the pathway will be an excellent educational resource for school groups.
Over the next two to three years, the Centre is also planning and seeking funding to put a video
camera and data monitor on the ex HMAS Adelaide with a live feed to the Centre. It will include a cable leading from the Adelaide to a buoy, with a radio link to the shore.
The ex HMAS Adelaide is the largest naval warship to be sunk off the NSW coast. It was sunk in 2011, 1.4km from the skillion, to create a marine sanctuary.
“We are hoping to provide signals to the Centre as well as other places, and create worldwide
interest in the ex HMAS Adelaide,” Mr Asquith said.
“It will really highlight the Central Coast as a destination. The ship is a marine sanctuary. It was the first time a ship has been sunk where the area was studied first.”
The Marine Discovery Centre has been running for seven years, and is popular with visitors as well as local schools and community groups. There are 157 volunteers, many who are in high school or university studying marine life.
“After seven years we have reached a stage where it’s popular but needs to go to the next level,” Mr Asquith said.
“We want to place a big emphasis on education and supporting research and tourism.”