Eden Community Decides

POEM Media Release: Eden Community Decides

On Wednesday night at the Fishermens Club an Eden community meeting put the long term secure development of the port as the number one priority by voting convincingly for a combination of both projects-a 170 berth marina/safe harbour and the wharf extension for cruise ships with a berthing pocket 160m wide, POEM President, Fritz Drenkhahn said today.

Under the independent chairman, Gary Nairn AO and, after about an hour of thorough questioning and discussion, there were 97 votes for the two project option and 20 votes for the 190m berthing pocket,, and no commercial marina- 3 informal- a ratio of nearly 5 to 1.

The vote count was checked by the chairman. POEM received a number of proxy votes but these were excluded.

The key message from the meeting, eloquently summed up by a member of the audience, was: “How could the NSW Government claim to have done a review of the Snug Cove development without considering the Snug Cove marina project that sits behind the attenuator. They should go back and redo it”

It seems to be a case of asking the wrong question in order to achieve a required answer rather than asking the right question and possibly getting an answer that may ruffle some feathers.

It was also noted that the Eden Harbour Master has advised that a 160m berthing pocket is adequate and safe for all lengths of cruise vessel.

Clearly, the Community regard the Snug Cove safe harbour and marina as a key component for the future of Snug Cove and the Eden economy, along with the wharf extension.

Enough time has been spent already, POEM calls on the NSW Government to quickly move to the design and construction of the wharf extension and a fixed panel attenuator 160m from the planned wharf extension.

Contact: Fritz Drenkhahn, POEM President
0427359820