Council adopted this strategy after engaging InConsult to facilitate a risk workshop for council employees. 

The decision council has accepted is to close the fishing platforms in both Tathra and Merimbula when the Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) issues a warning about dangerous sea conditions in our local area. 

However, this strategy is not without its problems because when I visited Tathra Wharf on January 30 (12.30pm to 1pm) there were four persons fishing off the platform and others, including young children, wandering around on the platform taking photographs and talking to the fisherpersons. 

At one point there were eight people on the platform. 

So is this safety control going to work? 

Well it could work better than it was on the 30th that’s for sure and it probably needs to because this strategy is the only preventative measure the council has been prepared to adopt since the tragedy of 2008.

BVSC is the body responsible for public safety at the wharf. 

It is the managing authority not only responsible for the putting up of signs and a barricade, but also for ensuring this strategy does in fact work. 

If the council did not do what was necessary in this situation (enforcing/policing the closure) I believe there could be serious legal and financial consequences for council and the shire should an accident occur. 

Closing the wharf in adverse conditions has been accepted by the council as necessary because at both Tathra and Merimbula wharves there is a very real potential for a fall into deep and dangers waters. 

You do not need to be a safety expert to see the risk the council is trying to manage.

Policing the wharf closure is necessary. 

If some people can simply ignore the closure then others will quickly follow. 

Another problem that will undoubtedly arise is the anger that will come from some fisherpersons and tourists when they find the wharf closed or when they are told to get off the fishing platform and go back behind the safety barrier. 

So those enforcing the closure are going to need special training to cope with this anger. 

There will be other problems too, but hopefully the council has considered these when adopting the wharf closure policy as central to its risk control strategy. 

Let’s be clear, the closure of the Tathra and Merimbula wharves is a critical part of the council’s public risk control strategy. 

It needs to work because at both wharves there are unprotected edges; there is no fall protection, there are no safety barriers. 

BVSC has rejected the proposal of putting permanent safety barriers around the unprotected edges, maintaining that such safety barriers would adversely affect tourism. 

So we are left with the problems of making the wharf closure policy work and the hope that in doing this we will keep fisherpersons, tourists and local business people happy. 

Paul Cozens

Tathra

Hoopla, hoopla, 

The circus is in town. 

Captive lions pacing,

Circling round and round.

Generational change, 

Time to be Born Free.

Released from their prison,

A fitting destiny.

Our council will not ban it, 

People's choice you'll hear them say. 

Well that is what our mayor said, 

Last time Lennons came this way.

Generating money,

Some people are quite dense.

Profiting from this entertainment,

At the animals expense.

Dona Eaton

Lochiel