HOT TOPICS - Save Jervis Bay

For those of use who enjoy cruising to Jervis Bay, 80nm south of Sydney by boat, for the summer holidays, or towing the tinnie for a spot of fishing, there are changes in the offing.

As a result of the NSW Marine Parks Authority’s zoning plan review, it’s proposed that the sanctuary zones would remain at 20 per cent of the park, and the special purpose zones would remain at 0.2 per cent of the park, but the habitat protection zones would increase from 72 per cent to 74 per cent of the park, and the general use zones would decrease from eight per cent to six per cent of the park. In short, that could affect how and where you go boating, fishing and diving.

A map of the proposed draft zoning plan for Jervis Bay Marine Park and supporting documents are available from www.mpa.nsw.gov.au after following the links to Jervis Bay Marine Park. The draft zoning plan will be on public exhibition and submissions close 5pm on September 17.

Concerned boaters, anglers and divers have created a Save Jervis Bay website www.savejb.com

On the plus side, there is a proposal to extend the existing designated anchoring area in Hare Bay to improve boating access down to Red Point, although it’s a kind of a nothing-area in paradise. Your thoughts? — David Lockwood, Editor

Photo: Jervis Bay, summer 2010 (by David Lockwood).