He has spent his life sailing across it, working in it and mapping its enormity as a hydrographical surveyor with the navy.

He also has a keen interest in lighthouses, having relied on them many times sailing around Australia.

Recent reports about the terrible state of the Crookhaven lighthouse sparked an interest in Mr Witz, who has seen a number of lighthouses around Australia saved, restored and preserved.

“My wife and I have spent our life sailing the waters around Australia and we have visited some beautiful lighthouses,” he said.

“I was lucky enough to spend some time with Stuart Buchanan who is, among many things, a restorer of lighthouses and a lighthouse keeper.

“He was responsible for restoring the lighthouse at Bustard Head in Queensland and has published a number of books about historical lighthouses.”

When Mr Witz visited the lighthouse on Monday, he was visibly upset by what he saw.

Carrying a copy of Stuart Buchanan’s book, aptly titled Lighthouse of Tragedy, he surveyed the vandalism and the overgrown vegetation that blocks its view to the ocean.

It’s a far cry from the 1955 photograph he produced that showed the lighthouse had clear unobstructed views in all directions.

Mr Witz would like to see the lighthouse restored, with ongoing maintenance of the building and surrounding bushland handled by volunteers using a successful method adopted by Cape Capricorn Lighthouse on Curtis Island near Hervey Bay.

“You apply to be put on a roster to spend one or two weeks living in the lighthouse, carrying out basic maintenance and providing security for the sight,” he explained.

“You become an honorary ranger and carry out basic duties.”

“You take all your own food and necessities and you could spend a month living in the lighthouse if there was room on the roster.”

Mr Witz said the best way to spark pride in a local landmark like the Crookhaven lighthouse was to restore it properly and then get the community involved in its upkeep.

He would like to see the public have the chance to be lighthouse keepers for a couple of weeks at a time on a roster basis, living in the lighthouse and helping out with studies of the local flora and fauna as well as providing much needed security.

Surveys begin on the overgrown headland

CROOKHAVEN Heads was a hive of activity on Monday, with representatives from Shoalhaven City Council and the Southern Rivers Catchment Authority mapping vegetation and conducting surveys.

Sky Kidd from the Southern Rivers Catchment Authority said council and the CMA were collaborating to ensure that any clearing of the area was within the bounds of native vegetation legislation.

“We are getting an idea of the weed infestation,” she said.

“The committee wants to clear the vegetation around the lighthouse.

“We are here to assist with that by ensuring there is nothing here that is significant and to let them know of anything they should be aware of.”

Ms Kidd said her department would be looking at what the committee could do under the legislation before approval was required.

“There are a whole range of tracks they can clear so we are seeing what can be done and what is feasible,” Ms Kidd said.

Council’s senior strategic planner James Harris was also on hand to start planning whatever work could be done once the report was received.

“We have got Corrective Services interested in the project,” he said.

“We are looking at a partnership. Some of the guys from the jail can come out here and start to remove the overgrowing vegetation.”

Mr Harris said he would like to encourage volunteers from the local community who wanted to be involved.

Elizabeth Dixon, senior environmental planner, said she would like to see the lighthouse a little more accessible for the community.

“It’s part of Shoalhaven history but as you can see it’s not easy to get to, there are a lot of issues along the way.”

When asked about the possibility of a road being built from the pilot house to the lighthouse, Mr Harris and Ms Dixon said there were a couple of surveyors on site taking levels but initial thoughts were it was going to be very expensive.

“It’s got to be a diligent use of ratepayers’ money and we may find the rest of the Shoalhaven questioning that type of expenditure,” Ms Dixon said.

“The surveyors are also out here today to work out what’s achievable and what is not and try to increase accessibility.

“When we have that we can get back to the committee and show them what is achievable and what it’s going to cost.”