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Seasoned skipper Brett Startup knows the Bass Strait is a "nasty bit of water when it wants to be".
Key points:
- A plan to dig a new waterway in Bridport could cut freight costs and attract luxury yachts
- Some locals are concerned about environmental, funding and aesthetic impacts
- The proposal is being investigated to determine whether it is feasible
But if navigating those rough waters is a challenge, sailing the shallow and serpentine channel into the port of Bridport can be a nightmare.
"Sometimes we fail, with regularity actually," he said.
"The river moves, it changes all the time."
The river is so shallow that freight ship Matthew Flinders IV — which links Flinders Island and Tasmanian mainland — only has half an hour on either side of low tide to get into Bridport.
Every aspect of the operation needs to be meticulously calculated.
If the ship is late, it can be stranded; if the cargo is too heavy, it gets stuck in the sand.
Bass Strait Freight managing director David Harris said a 20-centimetre drop in the tide cuts freight capacity by more than 100 tonnes.
"There are certain rules you can't break, and if you do, you just get stuck and have to wait 12 hours," he said.
Digging through the dunes
The Matthew Flinders IV has specific features, such as its flat bottom, to help it conquer this tricky waterway.
But rather than be at the mercy of the tides, some locals believe it would be better to cut a deeper channel straight to the sea.
LoadingWhile digging through the dunes may alarm conservationists and development-shy shack owners, Dorset Mayor Greg Howard said it would make the port "more viable".
Cr Howard said a new entrance could increase access to 16 hours a day, while a marina would allow Bridport to tap into the lucrative yacht market.
"You're talking about multimillion-dollar cruisers, and people who've got plenty of money to spend," he said.
"There are tens of thousands of boats, pleasure crafts, on the south coast of Victoria who are just busting to come to northern Tasmania but there are very limited spaces where they can tie up."
Costs, conservation and commitment
The idea of digging a new port entrance has been tossed around town for years — but so have an array of challenges.
The disruption to natural coastal movements, the impact on flora and fauna, the high cost of rock groynes needed for breakwaters, the never-ending need for dredging and changes to waterfront views are all potential stumbling blocks.
The prevalence of acid sulfate soils across the coast would also present problems for such a massive excavation project.
Who will foot the bill also needs to be determined, given the new port entrance and associated infrastructure could cost $35 million alongside ongoing maintenance.
Study to probe cost, coast impact
The state government has funded a study by Marine and Safety Tasmania (MAST) to determine whether the project is viable.
As well as cost, a MAST spokesperson said the study would include "coastal modelling and wave height analysis to allow the concept design to be developed further to ensure its design will not detrimentally affect coastal processes".
That study and the project itself were two recommendations of the 2022 Bridport Foreshore Master Plan, alongside an extension to a nearby boat ramp and the construction of a new jetty.
Mr Harris believed a simple port entrance could be completed for as little as $5 million and would dramatically cut the cost of freight to Flinders Island.
"The freight business has developed to a point where it underpins the entire economy of Flinders Island," he said.
"So it'd be a bit like putting a freeway through that which suddenly creates all sorts of economic activity."
But when and if the project secures funding and approvals, Cr Howard does not expect everyone will be happy.
"Usually any development that happens in Bridport, we seem to get some objections to it," he said.
"But it's a matter of if we know whether the majority are happy for it to go forward."