Industry on line in fight for Spit

The state government is being warned the Gold Coast will lose its fishing industry, worth an estimated $25m, if it proceeds with The Spit tender.

State Development Minister Grace Grace on Tuesday visited the Coast and met with representatives from the Gold Coast Fishermen’s Co-op, marine tourism operators and later Mayor Tom Tate about the sale of prime Crown land at Carter’s Basin.

Up to 100 marine tourism boats, which generate an estimated $100m for the economy, have been displaced after the Giannarelli and Pelligra groups gained approval for a superyacht marina and resort at Mariner’s Cove.

Marine tourism operators say their boats and the city’s trawler fleet can be saved if the government and council spend $10m on securing them a new home at Carter’s Basin.

Fishermen’s Co-op secretary Richard Hamilton expressed his frustration to Ms Grace, saying it seemed the government’s management of the displaced operators at Mariners Cove had become the trawler fleet’s problem.

“To accommodate them in the Carter’s Basin area would ruin the area and it would be overcrowded,” Mr Hamilton said.

“We ask that the state government reconsider the tender and appropriately place the tourism operators elsewhere leaving the Co-op where it is currently without the boundary being reduced on our northern side.”

The Co-op provides safe moorings for the fishing fleet including 18 vessels on nine pontoons along with 10 prawn trawlers, four spanner crab boats and the four tuna longline vessels.

“The Co-op own the pontoons and require all of them to remain in the position that they are in to ensure equitable selling from each vessel to the public and more importantly our pontoons are designed for safety for customers,” Mr Hamilton said.

“While the area is in limbo our infrastructure is now at breaking point and further delays will be extremely detrimental to the operations of the Co-op.”

The Co-op put forward a list of almost 20 items for it to continue operating, including securing existing pontoons, room for expansion along with parking and storage facilities.

Meanwhile, Save Our Spit fired off a missile at the Minister on Tuesday, accusing her of “radio silence” and not responding to their questions sent off three weeks ago.

Ms Grace did not conduct media during her visit but stakeholders described the talks as “positive” as she took their petition signed by 5000 people. The tenders close on March 4.