The cost of rebuilding the wharf has been estimated at half a million dollars, but Bega Valley councillor Keith Hughes said council’s insurance company has rejected a claim for storm damage to a “crucial structure to the local economy”.

“The importance of the Tathra Wharf to the region’s tourism, recreation and fishing industries is vastly more than the value of the woodchip loader [in Eden] and far more worthy of taxpayer support,” he said.

June’s East Coast Low event resulted in significant impacts to coastal areas and associated uninsured or insurance claim denied infrastructure, including the wharf, the agenda for Wednesday’s council meeting says.

Although situated on Crown Land, the wharf is managed by council and according to the state government is council’s responsibility to insure.

Mayor Michael Britten said the state government has deemed the storm “not an unusual event”, hindering disaster relief funding.

“This most recent event and the increasing frequency of emergency events have highlighted the need for an enterprise risk management review and an insurance review,” the agenda states, adding it will be undertaken over the next 10 months.

Tathra Chamber of Commerce is attributing cancellations and a lack of new bookings directly to the damaged wharf.

According to the meeting agenda, council’s “best case scenario” will be to “complete a robust mid-year budget review”.

Federal MP Mike Kelly said relief funding was dependent on rebuilding the structure as it was, not for the betterment of the wharf.

“It is ridiculous,” he said. “It doesn’t make sense to keep reinforcing failure.”

Dr Kelly will be raising the issue in parliament and in private conversations with the relevant ministers.