Forest facelift for Bermagui Co-op
From the Autumn/Winter 2010 edition of Bush Telegraph Magazine.
Bermagui Fishermen’s Cooperative chairman Allan Broadhurst about to open the new building with a traditional seaman’s salute from a bottle of champagne.
In the 1930s timber milled around the NSW South Coast town of Bermagui was used extensively in the local building and construction trade.
It is now a case of history repeating itself as white and yellow stringybark timber harvested from Bermagui State Forest early last year has been extensively used in the $4 million Bermagui Fishermen’s Wharf, which was opened last December, and taking just 11 months to build.
The wharf will provide visiting and local fishing boats with fuel, ice, power and other services.
The white stringybark used in the wharf building was processed at the Blue Ridge Hardwoods Sawmill in Eden.
“Blue Ridge supplied yellow stringybark cladding and decking for the project,” said Forests NSW sales forester Tom Halliday.
“About 90 per cent of this timber and white stringybark poles came from Bermagui State Forest.
“The blackbutt joists and bearers were sourced from State forests in the north of the State.”
For co-op chairman Rocky Lagana, it has added a new dimension to the Bermagui waterfront.
“The locals love it,” Rocky said.
“They can come down here and sit by the water at the beautiful boat harbour. It is something many of them thought they would never see in Bermagui.”
The building was designed by world-renowned architect Philip Cox and erected by South Coast construction company Rankin Builders.
The new building houses the co-op, a seafood retail outlet, Asian café, gift shop, clothing store and wine bar.
The co-op supplies the Sydney Fish Market, some Melbourne outlets and local trade.
Howard Spencer Public Affairs & Media, Coffs Harbour
