AN Albury canoe hire operator has welcomed work carried out on a new boat ramp at Mungabareena Reserve that will provide year-round access to the Murray River.
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David Breedon said when the river level dropped in the past, the ramp became unusable.
Large piles of broken concrete also blocked safe access to the water.
“The new ramp is less steep and a lot longer,” Mr Breedon said.
“I can see it getting a lot of use.”
Work on the $94,000 project was carried out by members of the Wagirra Trail Crew — an Aboriginal employment and training program created by Albury Council.
The project was jointly funded by Roads and Maritime Services, which contributed $43,000 through its Better Boating Program funding.
It comes almost two years after an updated ramp, parking spaces, picnic tables and toilets were opened at Kremur Street in West Albury.
Council’s engineering and works committee chairman Henk van de Ven thanked the Wagirra crew for a job well done.
“It looks fantastic and it’s the same crew who were responsible for work on the Kremur Street ramp,” he said.
Wagirra Crew senior operator Curtis Reid said work started in July to rip up the old concrete.
“It didn’t reach the water before and we have made it longer and wider as well,” he said.
“It’s 21 metres in length and quite lower than the original ramp because the other one was too high.”
RMS boating safety officer Nat Jacobs said the ramp provided improved access to the river and made the site a lot safer.
