Locals worried someone will die in Mooloolaba Harbour entrance

There are fears one of the Sunshine Coast’s most popular ports will claim a life as boaties and commercial fishermen battle the dangerously shallow harbour. Watch the video:

Boaties fear someone could be killed before a solution is found as Mooloolah River’s once safe entrance becomes a dangerous gamble for recreational mariners and commercial trawlers.

Boats are running aground regularly near Point Cartwright at the entrance to Mooloolaba harbour after a sand bank formed in an area previously used to access the Mooloolah River mouth.

The state government has been urged to act immediately and deploy a larger dredge before lives are lost.

Protesting fishers dumped a pile of sand outside the Maritime Safety Queensland Mooloolaba office entrance on Tuesday, May 10 and left signs reading “dredge the bar” and “if we have to cross a sandbar to get to work so can you”.

Coastguard Mooloolaba flotilla commander Ian Hunt said a longer-term solution was needed but felt there had been little to no change to the government’s dredging program in recent years.

Ian Hunt has called for urgent action on the dangerously shallow sand bar outside the Mooloolaba Harbour entrance.

He said it was “pure luck” no one had been killed after several near misses at the busy marina.

A shocking video also emerged of a prawn trawler that ran aground last month and was smashed by waves.

Fisherman Clint Gibson was aboard the deep water prawn trawler and said the entrance was the worst he had seen it.

Maritime Safety Queensland general manager Kell Dillon said they were “well aware” of the shoaling at the entrance.

Mr Dillon said alternative dredge methods were being investigated.

Fishers dumped sand and signs at the entrance to the Maritime Safety Queensland office at Mooloolaba.

He said Hall Contracting’s dredge was at the entrance before the major South East Queensland flood event in late-February and had been dredging the channel when weather conditions allowed.

“Unfortunately, dangerous swell conditions due to the recent weather events have prevented Hall from clearing the formation of a new shoal in the entrance,” Mr Dillon said.

Mr Hunt said the dredge that was being used did not have the capability to get out to where the new sand bank had formed.

He said it was hampering rescue efforts and causing many boaties to bypass Mooloolaba.

“We had a guy sit out there the whole night waiting until mid morning when we could bring him in,” Mr Hunt said.

Resident Jody Perry believes the dredging program needs to be better managed to ensure safe entrance in and out of the Mooloolah River.

Marine pilots were also struggling to navigate the channel at night.

Mr Hunt said the coastguard was asked to escort 23 yachts into Mooloolaba which had sailed from Brisbane, but they cancelled the visit at last minute.

“Aside from the safety, there‘s some economic loss – that’s 23 yachts that didn’t come into Mooloolaba for that weekend,” he said.

“A lot of people have been told to bypass Mooloolaba because of the dangers of the bar.”

Mr Hunt said the conditions were causing many boats to run aground and some to flip.

“We have only been lucky up until this stage that someone hasn’t died,” he said.

Longer-term solutions are being investigated and Mr Dillon said a 60m extension to the Point Cartwright breakwater was on the table.

He said this would allow sand to be trapped and dredged before entering the entrance channel.

He said community consultation and environmental approval stages were expected over the next six months.

But concerns have been raised any extension to the breakwater could destroy the popular surf break at Point Cartwright.

Residents Rachael Bermingham and Quinton Brown called on the state government to prioritise improving its dredging program instead of the extension.

Mr Brown said surfers had not been considered in the discussions about a breakwater extension.

“It will turn it into backwash city,” he said.

Maroochydore MP Fiona Simpson is calling for an urgent solution to the dangerously shallow entrance to the Mooloolah River.

“It is one of very few headlands on the Sunshine Coast that have protection from a southerly wind.”

Mr Brown said the original rock wall was built in the 1960s and questioned why a better solution could not be found.

Recreational boatie and Mooloolaba resident Jody Perry said the dredging program needed improvements to maintain safety.

He said the situation had become so bad that vessels now had to come close to the beach to avoid the sand shoals.

Maroochydore MP Fiona Simpson called on Transport Minister Mark Bailey to prioritise the matter.

She said the “crisis” had escalated with fishing vessels running aground and even a police vessel requiring special assistance.

“There must be a bigger dredge used to get out outside of the entrance and dredge the problem shoals so people can safety get in and out of the harbour entrance,” Ms Simpson said.

“Numerous fishers who are extremely experienced skippers are also telling me tales of horror about coming aground and risking being swamped while navigating the harbour entrance.

“There’s also increasingly stories of other vessels bypassing Mooloolaba – which used to be known as a safe harbour – because of the lack of certainty of safe access in and out. That also has an economic impact to the local industries.”

MSQ established two Automatic Identification System virtual reference marks on Tuesday to appear on AIS displays and chart-plotters to reflect the deepest water.

“It must be noted, as conditions and depths frequently change, mariners are always strongly encouraged to exercise caution when entering river channels,” Mr Dillon said.

The marks will also be available on the Notice to Mariners map.

MSQ urged mariners to check wave conditions via installed cameras at the channel entrance which were available on its website.

A petition was launched which called on the government to take urgent action to make the entrance safe.

Originally published as Locals worried someone will die in Mooloolaba Harbour entrance