It simply won’t happen or at least the sand mining component will not.

Illawarra ABC news and council sources have confirmed, without fanfare of course, that there will be no sand mining in Sussex Inlet and Lake Conjola.

The sand mining tag arises from the fact that dredged sand was to be sold off-site to the construction industry.

It has been curious, to say the least, that council insisted on referring to the operation as dredging without acknowledgement of the sand mining component.

The connotations and implications of the term “sand mining” in no way suggest appropriate management of our coastal estuaries and lakes.

A submission to the Review of Environmental Factors from the NSW Office of Environment and Heritage indicated it “strongly objected” to the sale of sand as did a number of private submissions.

The report to councillors also indicated the “life-cycle cost of dredging is high and would not be generally acceptable for other assets it [council] manages” and that assessment was made with sand mining still a component of the project.

Dredged sand will not be sold but will still be used offsite for various council works so sand is still being extracted from the natural systems, a process many community members have warned against in council’s consultations.

The dredging projects will now be subject to delays extending until mid-June 2016.

There have been some real lessons for the learning in the conduct of this project. Have they been learned by councillors?

C. Grounds,

Erowal Bay.