General manager of Taree based boat manufacturing business Steber International, Alan Steber, knows too well the dangers of the sand bar at Harrington.
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In 2017, Mr Steber was involved in a near fatal accident when a set of cross waves caused damage to a commercial fishing boat.
"Several years ago we wiped out an entire cabin on the boat, the bar was so long and shallow," Mr Steber recalled.
This incident was the catalyst for Mr Steber to voice his support for a petition to urge the NSW government to fund a navigable waterway to the Manning River entrance at Harrington and a permanently open entrance at Farquhar Inlet (Old Bar).
If 10,000 signatures can be secured, the issue will be debated in NSW Parliament.
"Just the sheer fact of having the community behind it and saying we need to have this improved is going to be absolutely tremendous," Mr Steber said.
In the next decade, the business expects to send more than 200 new boats across the bar. That equates to about 2000 entrances in and out of Harrington during this time for sea trials.
"We have to make it safe," Mr Steber stressed.
He said the Boating Industry Association and Boat Owners Association of NSW have backed the project, citing safety concerns for the public with the waterway in its current state.
Mr Steber said a navigable entrance will give the business more opportunities to produce exports.
As it stands, tide conditions and the bar can force Steber to wait up to three weeks just to exit the Harrington entrance.
"We don't want to delay (export) contracts because that holds back future positive tendering," Mr Steber added.
Meanwhile, Member for Myall Lakes Stephen Bromhead said a permanent entrance at Farquhar Inlet will flush the southern channel and create a permanent sand spit for shorebirds to nest.
The birds flock to the area during the warmer months and hatch well-camouflaged eggs on sand nests which are virtually undetectable.
"They can be better protected by having a stable sand spit and fenced off area so people can't destroy their nests," Mr Bromhead said.
He also agreed an improved Harrington entrance will allow more boaties along the east coast to enter the Manning River.
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