‘SETTING UP HOUSE’ IRRITATES FISHERMEN
I RECEIVED a phone call through the week from a prominent Gold Coast fisherman who has become fed up dealing with the frustration of not being able to fish in his favourite part of the Broadwater due to houseboats that have been permanently moored there for the last few months.
The rules for mooring your boat in our GC waterways are stated simply on the council website: “Anchoring and mooring boats is restricted to 24 hours in most rivers and canals and to seven days in most parts of the Broadwater.”
But according to the fisherman, some boats have been moored around the Broadwater without moving for more than three months now, and a couple for more than a year.
With exorbitant rental costs on the Gold Coast it’s not hard to see why someone might want to live on their boat instead, but what cost does the saving to the boatie bring to the rest of us.
Not only do they prevent us from our favourite fishing spots but without moving the boat there is nowhere for the toilet and waste to be emptied other than in our Broadwater in exactly the spot favoured by locals for swimming with their family.
The Gold Coast water authorities are doing their bit to police boats that are overstaying their welcome by so far this year issuing around a dozen fines to boaties.
But the rule itself may need changing.
It is legal to live on your houseboat off Wavebreak Island all year round as long as you move your boat after seven days for a 24-hour period.
After the 24-hour period you are welcome to return to the same spot for another seven days, but according to local fishermen most houseboats don’t bother moving at all and seem to be doing so without being moved on by authorities.
This seems to be against the principle that the Broadwater and our waterways are there for all of us to enjoy and not just a select few.
I’d love to hear your thoughts.