In short:
Coastal Cardwell is this weekend hosting hundreds of anglers vying for the best barrumundi at the region's annual fishing competition.
asserted
Cardwell → host → competition
Organisers have to check the tides a year in advance because Port Hinchinbrook has had limited boat access since cyclone Yasi crossed the coast in 2011.
asserted
Yasi → have → 2011
The state government recently acquired the land, announcing plans to restore the port and dredge the area.
asserted
government → acquire → area
Hundreds of anglers have hit the water at Cardwell this weekend for the 20th annual Barra Bonanza.
asserted
Hundreds → hit → Bonanza
The two-day catch-and-release fishing event drew record numbers this year, with more than 350 participants on the water and the most female entrants in the competition's history.
asserted
event → catch → history
Most of the boats launched from Port Hinchinbrook before 6am on Friday.
asserted
Most → launch → Friday
After that, the channel could become inaccessible.
uncertain
channel → become → that
The Port Hinchinbrook marina has been in disarray since Cyclone Yasi crossed the coast in 2011.
asserted
Yasi → cross → 2011
The channel has been choked by mud and silt, limiting access for boats wanting to get in and out.
asserted
channel → choke → boats
As the boat access is tidal, competitors must keep one eye on the fishing and the other on the tide.
asserted
competitors → keep → tide
If they miss the high-tide window, they could find themselves stuck on the water's edge.
uncertain
themselves → miss → edge
Cardwell Sportfishing Club president Greb Abbs said organisers had to consider this when planning the event.
asserted
organisers → say → event
He said they checked the tides a year out to determine the best date for the event.
asserted
they → say → event
"There's two things that we look for: the best time to go fishing, which is around the moon, and how it coincides with the tide," he said.
asserted
he → be → tide
"We set the tournament up so that it's for the fishermen to have the best opportunity to catch fish and for the best opportunity to get in and out."
asserted
fishermen → set → opportunity
Port Hinchinbrook's recovery and redevelopment have been riddled with political and legal complications.
asserted
recovery → riddle → complications
The state government recently acquired the land and allocated $64 million in the budget to restore the port, including dredging its waterways.
asserted
government → acquire → waterways
Early works have been completed, and tenders for a dredging contractor closed in September.
asserted
tenders → complete → September
Fishing club vice-president Jeff Snell said if the project went ahead, it would be a game changer for the town.
asserted
it → say → town
"[It is] the best thing that could happen around here," he said.
"The whole place was just bloody pumping before [Cyclone Yasi] and now it's going to bring that back again."
Mr Abbs said the ability to have access to the port in all tides would also make it safer because the coast guard would be able to get on the water if there was an incident, instead of having to rely on nearby crews in Tully and Innisfail to step in when the tide was too low.
uncertain
tide → happen → Tully
Environmental concerns
Environmentalists have warned dredging the port could cause serious harm to waterways and the animals living in the channel.
uncertain
dredging → warn → channel
Retired engineer and local environmentalist, John Mewing, said he thought the government had been secretive.
asserted
government → say → ?
"The difficulty that I had in getting hold of the information that I now have appears to me that the government wanted to keep a lot of these submissions secret," he said.
asserted
he → have → submissions
He said he had been seeking information about a full environmental impact assessment, both on and off site, and what ramifications there would be if the project proceeded.
asserted
project → say → site
Mr Mewing, a keen fisherman himself, said there was no need to disrupt nature to allow easier access to the channel.
asserted
Mewing → say → channel
"Right beside this development, we've got a listed World Heritage Area in the Hinchinbrook Channel," he said.
asserted
he → get → Channel
"It should be obvious to anyone who visits this area that this is a relatively pristine wilderness.
asserted
this → visit → area
"That in itself should be enough to say to everyone that this is not a place for a development like this to happen."
asserted
development → say → this
Member for Hinchinbrook Wayde Cheisa was contacted for comment.
20 years of community
The Cardwell Barra Bonanza was founded by ex-club president Chris Stoter and local business owner Mick Volp, with the aim of boosting tourism in the region.
Mr Stoter said it had been amazing to watch the event grow.
"
asserted
event → contact → region
I get emotional when you walk in there and you see all [the] people," he said.
asserted
he → get → people
"I never thought in 20 years' time I'd be sitting here doing this.
asserted
I → think → this
We just took it under our wing and ran with it."
asserted
We → take → it
The pair came up with the idea over a Boxing Day beer.
asserted
pair → come → beer
"I think when we first kicked it off, Chris said to me, 'This is what I want to do,'" Mr Volp said.
asserted
Volp → think → what
"I said, 'Well, you organise the fishing side of it, I'll organise the sponsorship side.'
asserted
I → say → side
"We're just glad to be able to put something back into Cardwell."
asserted
We → put → Cardwell
Both agreed it would be wonderful to see Port Hinchinbrook restored as they reflected on the glory days before Cyclone Yasi.
asserted
they → agree → Yasi
"People would line up down the marina, there'd be hundreds of people …
asserted
People → line → people
the restaurant was nearly at full capacity all week," Mr Stoter said.
asserted
Stoter → say → capacity
He said he was "stoked" at the prospect of the port being dredged and seeing the town come alive again.
asserted
town → say → prospect
The Aporia