HOW TO STOP BUCKPASSING

FRUSTRATIONS of boaties and residents in dealing with multiple agencies that have responsibility for Gold Coast waterways are summed up in examples highlighted in our special report today on marine red tape.

In one case, Labrador resident Rick Sullivan tells of an incident last year in which he tried to report pollution floating in the Broadwater. He contacted what he thought was the correct marine authority and was asked if it had reached the shore. When he said yes, the voice on the end of the phone said the matter was therefore the city council’s responsibility.

Readers who study the waterways authority chart that accompanies our report, explaining the functions of each of the 11 agencies, will note the council only has responsibility if the pollution is land sourced, so what Mr Sullivan encountered was an exemplary piece of buckpassing.

And that is the problem. Whether intentional or by accident or through ignorance, this sort of buckpassing is inevitable when there are 11 separate bodies supposedly in charge of various aspects of the Gold Coast’s waterways.

Responsibility has to be streamlined. It cannot be reduced to a single agency – police, for example, must control speed limits and be on the lookout for boaties who are under the influence of liquor, while dredging approvals are obviously the role of other agencies including the council. But there is considerable overlap in several areas and this can only lead to confusion and a mountain of bureaucracy.