MONTAGUE Island Nature Reserve will be closed to tour operations from Monday, April 28 until August 3 allowing vital repairs to the island’s buildings.
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The roofs on the heritage-listed lighthouse keeper’s cottages on the island are all clad in asbestos.
Discovery Coordinator for Montague Island Tours, Cassandra Bendixsen said this asbestos would be removed from the houses and replaced with stainless steel.
“There will also be much associated work repairing and replacing the old roof battens and thorough asbestos cleaning works done,” she said.
There would be a minimal National Parks and Wildlife Service presence on the island, she said.
Also helicopters are expected to do some of the heavy lifting so expect some chopper activity around Narooma.
Bendixsen said once a Certificate of Clearance for asbestos has been signed off, National Parks would consider re-opening the island in a limited capacity to Day Tour operations.
Bendixsen said the dates had been negotiated for the closure as they were outside peak tour times of Easter and whale watching season.
“The works will be conducted over our most quiet tour demand months; therefore, while there will be an impact on all our businesses, the impact will be as minimal as we can make it,” she said.
