BOATIES TRASHING PARADISE
CARELESS boaties and vandals are trashing one of the Gold Coast’s most precious attractions – its waterways – says the disgusted chief of a charity cleaning up tonnes of garbage dumped on islands and in mangroves.
Ocean Crusaders managing director Ian Thompson said the skipper of a houseboat was recently spotted landing at Wavebreak Island in the Broadwater and shamelessly ditching a load of furniture.
It was just one example of the dumping keeping the Crusaders busy across the Coast this year.
The national charity has been packing its vessels full of tonnes of garbage from Browns Inlet, Coomera River, Jacobs Well, South Stradbroke Island and Wavebreak Island, among other areas.
The Crusaders removed 15 tonnes of waste from the Coomera River in 11 days earlier this year.
Mr Thompson urged boaties to respect the paradise they live and play in.
“People in boats seem to think they’ll just toss rubbish overboard and it’ll disappear,” he said.
“It’s just shocking seeing the way we’re treating the waterways.
“We’re still a small organisation working on restricted funding so to be able to come to the Gold Coast and pull out the tonnage we have is just unreal,’’ he said.
“Boaties should be respecting our waterways more than anyone.
“Stuff coming in off the streets is one thing, but the way these live-aboards are
treating the waterways is ridiculous.”
Mr Thompson said his boats were filled to the brim with garbage on almost every clean-up trip.
“And you’ve got these derelict houseboats just throwing rubbish into the mangroves.” he said. “We’re talking fridges, we’re talking furniture, mattresses, all just thrown into the mangroves.”
The charity’s work is funded by the Federal Government’s Communities Environment Program.
Gold Coast Waterways Authority said garbage pollution from vessels should be reported to Maritime Safety Queensland (MSQ).
MSQ said the maximum penalty for deliberately or negligently discharging garbage into coastal waters was 3500 penalty units, or more than $467,000.
Ocean Crusaders runs clean-ups across the Coast and the public can volunteer to pitch in.
More information is available on its Facebook page.