Fishermen out to land clearer future
GOLD COAST Fishermen say they have been left in limbo and are concerned plans to revitalise the Spit will threaten their livelihood.
The Gold Coast fleet of 18 trawlers that have berthed at the Southport Broadwater since the 1970s are seeking a guarantee the Spit Master Plan won’t affect their work as primary producers.
Richard Hamilton, chair of the Gold Coast Fisherman’s Co-op, said the group, which sells 80 per cent of its produce directly from the boats, have been unable to invest in any upgrades because of the year-on-year leases for the wharf.
“We just don’t know where we stand without a long-term lease, no one is willing to invest in it – it’s always changing,” he said.
“We want to put money into the onshore facilities but we can’t do that if we don’t know what next year will bring.”
The co-op, which on a good season can have a weekly catch of five tonne, has previously had 30-year leases. However, since the late 1990s they have been reduced to five and one year leases.
“We really need something like a 50 year lease, it would give us something to work with and get people to invest,” he said.
Like many who work on the ocean, Mr Hamilton is relatively laid back but admitted he has grown tired of the constant proposals and lack of certainty.
“It is a bit of a saga – every time a developer wants to invest and is making plan it all seems to end up falling down,” he said.
Vice president of Save our Spit Darren Crawford said he would “fight tooth and nail” against a threat to the area’s fishing heritage.
“We do not have any plans to move the trawler base nor create a new wharf, nor do we support any plans to do so in the future as proposed by any developer or group,” he said.
A spokesman for the Department of State Development, Manufacturing, Infrastructure and Planning said the importance of the fisherman’s co-op was widely acknowledged.
However, no guarantee of a longer lease would be made until the master plan is completed.
“The master plan will provide a platform for long-term tenure for the co-op, enabling reinvestment in their facility,” they said.
“We see the co-op as a key part of the consultation process for The Spit Master Plan and we want to continue to support them on The Spit.”
WE JUST DON’T KNOW WHERE WE STAND WITHOUT A LONG-TERM LEASE ... IT’S ALWAYS CHANGING. RICHARD HAMILTON