Mr Castle said it was 22 years ago when the community agreed it wanted Tuross Head to be a recognised fishing haven.

Mr Castle, who is vice president of the NSW Regional Fishing Alliance, spent years lobbying for the upgrade to provide easier and safer access for fishermen and boaters.

From very early on he received "outstanding" support from the Tuross Head Progress Association (THPA).

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Finally, in 2019, Liberal candidate for Gilmore Warren Mundine committed the Liberal government to fund a floating pontoon.

The 2019/20 bushfires and then COVID-19 delayed the project but it was finally completed in June 2022.

Fiona Phillips spoke at the formal opening on Friday, August 5, and cut the ribbon.

She said, "the Tuross Head boat ramp jetty upgrade is something I have been hearing about for years".

"Mr Castle and the THPA have been like a dog with a bone with this project," she said.

The $200,000 of funding came from the federal government's Community Developments Grants program and Eurobodalla Shire Council designed and built the pontoon.

ESC mayor Mat Hatcher praised Mr Castle's work for the boating and fishing associations.

"Without those sorts of [federal] grants and people like Max these projects don't happen," he said.

The upgraded jetty is expected to benefit the local community, fishermen, and boaters and tourism operators.

"This is a proudly a fishing destination," Ms Phillips said.

"It shows how far $200,000 can go and the impact on the community and keeping people safe."

As a floating pontoon, it moves up and down with the tide to provide a standard height for people to access their boats.

Mr Castle said a 2012 survey found that the "value of recreational fishing is in the billions of dollars".

He said that boat sales have "rocketed" over the last three years as COVID led to a boom in domestic tourism.

Mr Castle said Victoria has superior fishing facilities so "if we are to attract and retain fishermen we have to have good facilities and that will bring more money into our businesses in Eurobodalla".

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