GOOLWA - The proposal to put a barrier across the Goolwa channel of the Murray River and allow seawater to raise the pool level for boating has moved a step closer.
The State Government is investigating the economic merits and environmental impacts of the proposal.
The plan, which is strongly promoted by the Southern Alexandrina Business Association (SABA), would see a temporary barrier placed across the Goolwa Channel, from Laffin Point in North Goolwa, to Hindmarsh Island.
Seawater would then be allowed to flow in through the Goolwa barrage, raising the pool level to a point where boating activities could be resumed.
The Minister for the River Murray, Karlene Maywald, is investigating the plan and will take her recommendations to Cabinet in the near future.
And the SABA is pressuring the Alexandrina Council to support the plan.
"The minister needs to see that there is total community support for this idea," said the president, John Clark.
"The council is holding out for an unrealistic solution."
He said that a public notice placed in The Times by the council last week was a response to a "flurry of letters" to both The Times and the council.
"I think they are running a little scared," he said.
"These are not letters that have been drafted by us. They are coming from people out there who are hurting."
The mayor, Kym McHugh, said the council had decided to place the notice because it was felt there were some "misunderstandings" within the community regarding the council's position on the Laffin Point proposal.
He said the notice was also a way to respond to the many letters to the editor printed on the subject recently.
"Council have asked the State Government to look at it (the proposal) and we have asked them to make the findings public," he said.
"They are carrying out both an environmental and economic investigation. They are the agency that will make it happen."
Mr McHugh said he believed the people reporting to the government on the technicalities of the project would be providing a positive report.
"If the government does go ahead it could be achievable before Christmas," he said.
"There are also some environmental positives.
“There are positives and negatives with every proposal but this would allow the Currency Creek and Finniss estuaries to stay connected to the lakes and fresh water from them would flood into the lakes."
"The barrier would isolate the seawater from the fresh water lake."
Mr McHugh said he understood that the Federal Government would need to "sign off" on any environmental investigation before the plan could go ahead.
Paul Davis of the River, Lakes and Coorong Action Group said that the Laffin Point proposal was "the best of a set of bad proposals".
"It is the least damaging place to put it," he said. "But any structure will have an impact that lasts a lot longer than the temporary structure."
"I do wonder how people in places like Clayton are going to be able to get their boats through though."
Clayton based fisherman and environmental advocate, Henry Jones, said he didn't have a problem with the temporary barrier at Laffin Point.
"That area is dead already," he said. "It's hyposaline and at least at that point the waters from the Finniss and Currency Creek will still enter the lakes."
Mr Clark said he believed the environmental impact would be negligible.
"We already have 50% seawater at the Hindmarsh Island Bridge," he said. "Talk of damage being done to the water table is nonsense."
Mr Clark said the SABA envisaged that the barrier would need to be in place for between three and five years.
"We are not going to see significant inflows into Goolwa in that time," he said.
He said he hoped that a decision would be made soon, as he believed time was running out to have the barrier in place before Christmas.
"We've already lost 50% of the boats - that's 500 boats - from the area," he said. "An announcement soon would at least give people hope."
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