22 August 2024
By Hannah Wilcox
North Sydney Council is backing calls for the State Government to pitch in and help clean up Berry’s Bay.
Located to the east of the Waverton Peninsula and the west of McMahons Point, the body of water has seen the dumping of redundant, decaying vessels, failing jetties and piled pollution.
A Save our Sydney Harbour campaign, supported by Clean Up Australia, is petitioning for Transport NSW to remove or repair it. Council is encouraging residents to sign it.
“Sydney Harbour belongs to us all and is an international icon,” HarbourCare volunteer Mary Curran said.
“It should not be a haven for hoarders.”
She warned that the junk is leaching pollutants into the water, making it unsafe for swimmers, kayakers and other recreational users of the harbour as well as for marine wildlife.
The petition has already received 1421 signatures but needs 20,000 signatures to be debated in state parliament.
It calls for the Harbour to be cleared and kept clear of redundant, decaying vessels and failing structures, and for an independent investigation to determine whether government agencies properly and fairly responded to community concerns.
Another request is for an independent environmental and visual impact assessment be properly conducted before permitting vessels to be moored in the bays and coves of Sydney Harbour, as well as the use of the dolphin wharves and moorings in the bays be strictly limited to their original intended and/or approved purpose and not for long-term mooring of vessels.
It comes following the fire of a moored vessel at Berry’s Bay on Sunday night.
The neighbouring SS Steyne, narrowly avoided the roaring flames when a nearby vessel caught alight around 7.15pm.
Emergency services were called to the scene as 24 firefighters battled the blaze with boat-mounted water jets for over two hours.
The barge sank, but the nearby SS Steyne managed to be saved.
It celebrated 86 years at sea this year after venturing from Scotland in 1938.
Whilst operating as the Manly Ferry, it carried out 100,000 round trips to Circular Quay and back, transporting more than 92 million passengers.