HOPES are high that a $114,000 investment into safety at one of the region's deepest attractions can help protect scuba divers.
The HMAS Adelaide dive site on the Central Coast is once again open to divers after a schedule of works to fix damage caused in large ocean swells, the state government announced on Monday. That work included cutting free parts of the wreck's superstructure where it had cracked, letting fragments move with the current and pose a falling risk.
Obstructions were also shifted to make sure every room inside the former naval vessel had separate entry and exit points, while openings have been modified to let sediment that accumulated during wild weather could flush out. Minister for Lands and Water Kevin Anderson said the site was safer for divers after the five-metre swells prompted the work.
"This globally-significant artificial reef attracts thousands of divers each year injecting spending into the region to support local shops, cafes, dive operators and other businesses, so it's great to have it reopened to support local tourism," Mr Anderson said. "While many of the world's top dive sites are hours offshore, HMAS Adelaide is a five-minute boat ride from Terrigal, providing an easily accessible underwater experience that's great for tourists and locals to enjoy."
Department of Planning and Environment - Crown Lands area manager for the Hunter Rob Micheli said the government body had worked with its contractors to fast track works. "The wreck is ideal for marine life as it has large surface areas with many nooks and crannies covered in marine growth, and there's even an unusual pink soft coral which looks like a cauliflower and is home to shrimp and other species," Mr Micheli said.
The HMAS Adelaide lies in a Crown reserve about 1.8 kilometres off Avoca Beach, where it was scuttled in 2011.
Dive masters are urged to take caution when diving near the structure. Permits remain compulsory for diving the wreck and fishing in the area is banned.
An offshore reef planned for the Central Coast was announced in June, when Parliamentary Secretary for the Central Coast Adam Crouch paid tribute to the HMAS Adelaide's contribution to the area.
"Our coastline boasts some of the most vibrant ocean environments in NSW and the ex-HMAS Adelaide is a fantastic example of the remarkable transformation that a single site can have on the surrounding area," Mr Crouch said.
