Increase public moorings in Broadwater to reduce issue

I READ with interest the letter from David Chrisafulli MP

(Weekend Bulletin, Oct 27, 2018) Firstly, the honourable gentleman makes the comparison of the Broadwater with that of Sydney Harbour, one of the world’s best natural deep-water ports.

The Broadwater is the Nerang River mouth estuary, shallow by its very nature.

He also makes reference to “do gooders” arguing against, I assume, the dredging and destruction of the few remaining sea grass beds which still feed the dugong that often graze in the area.

The “do gooders” who have worked tirelessly to regenerate and preserve Federation Walk? Or the “do gooders” who support our local trawler fleet as being a vital and unique tourist attraction who continue to provide worldstandard seafood?

But I digress. He is right about many things such as the dogs breakfast that has befallen our regulators, the GCWA in particular whom the Southport Yacht Club manager Mr Brett James describes as a “toothless tiger”.

I would have thought the SYC enjoyed a more cordial and prudent relationship with those who regulate the on-water activities of their members?

You can’t help but agree with some of the statements made by both parties but I would caution more authority. A bigger stick may not be the best way to go and I am often suspicious of the motives of those who call for a more harsh regime.

Being a fairly typical local “liveaboard” yachtie, I have spent more than 30 years living on the Coast, 12 of which were spent as an active volunteer rural firefighter, having mostly held all positions in that service and having several appreciation certificates from the GCCC. I am now a volunteer JP. I believe I have, and continue to serve my community well.

Now in retirement I seek a more peaceful life on the water as fulfilment of a long-held ambition to sail the Queensland coast.

The GCWA have, I believe, been handed a task which may be beyond their remit and certainly beyond their budget. The fact that there are virtually no public moorings in the southern Broadwater is disgraceful and would go a long way to alleviating some of the problems we are facing today.

It’s quite absurd to have to be a ($1000) gold member of the Southport Yacht Club to obtain a mooring in this area, and then join a 10-year waiting list. I could be dead by the time l get a mooring?

The group to which l belong — fellow live-aboard sailors — are also disappointed by the state of some of the vessels around us and more than occasionally cause us a good deal of grief by dragging anchor in storms and high wind. JACK LESTER