River reopening welcomed by paddle steamer operator

A MOVE by the New South Wales State Emergency Service to reopen parts of the Murray River has been backed by a paddle steamer tour operator.

On Friday, 2 December the NSW SES lifted an emergency declaration covering a section of the river from Hume Weir to Echuca.

Director of Murray River Paddlesteamers, Craig Burgess, welcomed the announcement.

“We are delighted with the outcome which was the result of a collaborative effort between commercial operators, Resilience NSW, NSW SES, Maritime NSW and the cross-border councils,” he said.

“We have been closed since 18 October, so this news is very welcome for our staff, our guests and the entire local community which so heavily relies upon tourism.”

With the river closed following significant rainfall during October and early November, the Murray subsequently peeked at 94.94 meters at Echuca Wharf.

By late last week it was down to 93.8 meters and expected to fall further.

With his boats returning to service and water levels remaining relatively high, Mr Burgess said it was an opportunity to take the paddle steamers to places they often can’t access, and also support the local community.

“Echuca and sister town across the river, Moama, have done it tough for the past three years through bushfires, the pandemic and now flooding, which has now receded, but our local tourism industry is resilient so we want to play our part in attracting visitors back to our beautiful region and the mighty Murray,” he said.

“Our lovely heritage town and meandering, gum-lined Murray are now open again and a sight to see as the river runs high ready to charm visitors again.”