FISHERMEN USING the Huntsman Lake near Meander met representatives from MAST in May to outline the need for boat ramp adjustments on the lake.

Fisherman Grant Flowers from Meander said people fishing there alone had difficulty managing their boats safely when bad weather was coming from the south or south-west.

‘The rocks up both sides of the ramp make it difficult to ground a boat safely’, Grant said.

‘We’re hoping to get enough funding for a walkway and a buffer to make the situation safe especially for older people.

‘It’s a good facility but I think fewer people use it because of the rocks. It’s all about safety and making a good facility even better.’

Jim Caulfield from MAST and Neil Morrow from Inland Fisheries visited the lake to hear concerns of locals about the ramp.

But the project won’t happen quickly.

Grant said the adjustments were too expensive to fit into the usual MAST small projects category.

‘It would be lovely to have it next week but this project will cost a lot more than $50,000. Big projects can take a few years and we’d prefer to do a good job rather than a half done job’, he said.

‘We are looking to Meander Valley Council for some funding and with the federal election coming up we may be able to get some politicians onside and get something out of them.’