But preparing Snug Cove for the project has revealed a dirty secret.

Over a three week period - ending Friday, June 26 - salvage divers and a construction crane were engaged in removing garbage from the ocean floor at the breakwater wharf to clear the site for the new attenuation wall.

A source told the Eden Magnet that a staggering 120 tonnes of junk - three times the volume originally anticipated - was reportedly removed. 

Eight semi trailer loads left the dock, weighed down with massive steel plates, kilometres of cable, 80 tyres, six diesel engines and the entire sides of ships. 

The consensus among authorities and groups associated with the salvage operation is that the garbage dates back more than 20 years. 

But the Eden Magnet's source was emphatic - a clear proportion of the garbage was modern, pointing to recent illegal dumping.

“It was obvious where a lot of the junk came from," the source, who requested anonymity for fear of legal action, said.

"The garbage can be identified, and traced back.

“And they should be held accountable.” 

Member for Bega, Andrew Constance, was upbeat about the salvage operation on June 24, when his office issued a media release, summarising the junk as simply 50 years of accumulation. 

The Eden Magnet decided to investigate further, in an attempt to ascertain the true nature of the garbage. 

The investigation inadvertently resulted in discontent among authorities, a bit of hot potato throwing, and some very ugly finger-pointing.

If illegal dumping did occur recently at Snug Cove, the question is: who turned a blind eye?

Looking around the port, the eyes are numerous, with those of greatest authority belonging to the Port of Eden harbour master and the Eden Water Police.

“We’ve received no report of illegal dumping and we would follow up on any report that has legitimacy,” Steve Judd, sergeant with the Eden Water Police, said. 

“And nothing has been brought to our attention.”

The Eden Water Police identified the harbour master as the overall authority, but on contacting the Port of Eden the Eden Magnet was advised the regular harbour master was on leave, and unavailable for comment until mid July.  

But only a few hours later, the Eden Magnet received an unexpected follow-up call from Melbourne’s head office.

“The port authority doesn’t have a role pursuing or policing this sort of thing,” community relations manager for the Port Authorities, Melbourne, Brendon Elliot, said. 

“Although the harbour master has many tools at his disposal for overseeing the Eden port, one man can’t be everywhere or see everything.”

As the investigation continued, most who spoke with the Eden Magnet claimed the garbage was strictly historic, originating from a time when the port was busier, and attitudes less caring. 

“I’ve had a long career at sea,” recalled Eden’s relieving harbour master, who asked not to be named. 

“And I can remember coming into port with 60 crew aboard, and pumping our raw sewerage straight into the harbour. 

"But there’s zero tolerance of that now. 

"And I don’t believe that anyone would deliberately dump their junk in our harbour anymore. 

"I certainly haven’t seen it,” he said.

Even the inference of illegal dumping is upsetting for some businesses. 

On Tuesday morning, June 30, Nick Dunne from Eden Slipway visited the Eden Magnet office.

He reported nasty gossip stirring in the port, and requested a meeting.

Eden Slipway sits right in the heart of Snug Cove on the main wharf, with the Port of Eden harbour master as neighbour. 

The slipway has been servicing the Eden fleet for decades, with the Dunne family and father/son team of Greg and Nick the current owner-operators.

“We’ve never dumped a thing in the ocean, we want to keep Eden pristine,” Greg Dunne said. 

“All the junk out there is from the olden days.” 

Mr Dunne recalled the hey-day of the 1960s to the 1980s, when the slipway serviced 50 to 60 trawlers a year, all Eden based.

“Ships were sometimes moored five ships thick on the wharf, and the fishing co-op was also running,” Mr Dunne said. 

“There were no rubbish bins on the dock, and garbage was unregulated.”

Mr Dunne said the ocean was once referred to as ‘Davy Jones’ Locker’; a bottomless pit, able to consume and cover-up a limitless supply of human refuse.

But he says fishermen have changed their ways over the past 20 years, and anecdotal observations at least seem to support that most of Snug Cove’s garbage is indeed historic. 

“We go diving over there all the time,” son Nick Dunne said, referring to where the salvage was conducted near the current breakwater wharf. 

“Most of the junk was in only six to eight metres of water. 

"And it was covered in silt and sand. 

"The thick steel cables were so rusty and old they’d break in your hand.”

Both the port authority and Eden Water Police concurred that in the advent of illegal dumping, it became an issue for the NSW Environment Protection Authority (EPA).

The Eden Magnet emailed an inquiry to the EPA, but in less than 48 hours - and without any on-site investigation conducted by the EPA - the EPA advised the Eden Magnet they were not aware of any problems with the Snug Cove development, were not able to follow-up on claims unless further substantiated, could not be quoted, and suggested speaking with the Crown Land Division (CLD) of the Department of Primary Industries, who are the leaseholders of the Snug Cove precinct.

The CLD project manager for the Eden Marina port development, Andrew Dooley, has repeatedly declined or deflected requests by the newspaper for updates about the salvage operation. 

On Tuesday, June 30, the public affairs manager for the CLD of the Department of Primary Industries, John McClymont, spoke to the Eden Magnet, but was surprisingly vague about the debris removal.

“We can’t quantify the garbage,” Mr McClymont said. 

“And we can’t comment on the environmental aspects.”

Mr McClymont would not comment on, nor confirm, the reported 120 tonnes of junk being removed, nor would he identify the parties involved in the cleanup. 

When asked if the EPA would be invited to investigate the nature of the garbage, the phone call was terminated. 

Two hours later, Mr McClymont was back on the phone to the Eden Magnet, advising in a more friendly manner that yes, the CLD was now in communication with the EPA, and that the EPA would be updated if required. 

The critical lynch-pin is an official report, commissioned by Andrew Dooley and the CLD as part of the original tender for the salvage operation. 

A total of 65 sites - with between one to five items per site - were listed on the tender, to be cleared of garbage. 

A detailed dive log, with photographs of all items both below and above the surface, is understood to be a mandatory requirement of this final report.

On Monday, July 6, the Eden Magnet called Mr McClymont as the elected spokesman for the CLD, and asked when this report was due and when it would become available for public scrutiny.

Mr McClymont said he would email the Eden Magnet with this information, but had still not done so by time the Magnet went to press yesterday.

Over the investigation, the newspaper has also placed calls to Mr Constance's office requesting a comment on the claims of illegal dumping, and to ask advice about access to the CLD report. 

The Eden Magnet is also keen to ask Mr Constance about scrutiny of the garbage at time of processing. 

Mr Constance was still unavailable for comment yesterday.

All the paper has is his media release of June 24 in which he said: "All the salvage collected will be recycled, taken to the tip or disposed of at another appropriate site.”

It is hoped the careful dissection of the garbage will help illuminate the situation, while the official report remains pending. 

The Community Liaison Group - an independent community advisory group including members of the Chamber of Commerce, Cruise Eden and Eden Tourism who regularly meet and consult regarding the port development - was also approached for comment on Monday. 

One member, who declined to be identified or quoted, would only say that the group was not aware of any problem.

The Eden Magnet will continue its investigation.