SHARK ‘ATTACK’

Safety of people must come before sharks: Tate

ATTEMPTS to remove anti-shark drum lines from Gold Coast waters would be disastrous for tourism, says mayor Tom Tate.

“You are going overboard and putting sharks ahead,” he said.

His comments followed the loss of an appeal against a court decision putting new restrictions on shark control measures in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park.

MAYOR Tom Tate has warned that if a shock court ruling that has led to removal of anti-shark drum lines from north Queensland waters is applied to the Gold Coast, it will be disastrous for tourism.

“People are getting their priorities in the wrong order. It’s sharks versus human life. You are going overboard and putting sharks ahead,” Cr Tate said yesterday.

“Here on the Coast we have shark nets but a lot of greenies want us to remove them.

“My attitude is they are staying, they protect people. If you go south to NSW people get bitten. So they work.”

His comments followed the loss this week of an appeal by the Palaszczuk Government against a court decision putting new restrictions on shark control measures in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park, which would require any sharks – including dangerous great whites, tigers and bull sharks – caught on drum lines to be released instead of euthanased.

The Government will now remove drum lines from 27 beaches stretching from Cairns to Gladstone, saying to implement the new restrictions would put contractors “in serious peril’’.

The successful challenge against destroying 19 species of sharks caught on the lines in the reef marine park was originally mounted by the Humane Society International.

The State Government is urging the Federal Government to act and rush through laws to allow euthanasia so human lives are protected.

Its attempts to beef-up control measures had followed a spate of attacks – one fatal and two near-fatal – in the Whitsundays.

Cr Tate said the Gold Coast had to protect swimmers and surfers.

“If you get attacks here the tourists will not want to come to our beaches and enjoy a swim between the flags when in the back of their minds they know they can be attacked,’’ he said.

Destination Gold Coast chairman Paul Donovan said he shared Mayor Tom Tate’s concerns.

“They can do what they like up north in Cairns. I totally agree with our Mayor’s views on this,” he said.

Opposition tourism spokesman and Broadwater MP David Crisafulli said the industry was built on safe beaches.

“The Queensland tourism reputation is built on safe beaches and any move to water that down should be resisted lock, stock and barrel,” Mr Crisafulli said.

He said the State Government should keep the drum lines in place while Canberra considered options.

“We need to provide extra resources to keep our swimmers and fisheries staff safe while they comply with the court order,” he said.

“It will mean they need to move and release the sharks. It is not ideal but removing the drum lines is disastrous.”

He called on the Federal Government to fast-track new laws.

Surfers Paradise identity and surf club veteran Billy James said he believed the strength of the tourism market on the Gold Coast was partly due to the success locally of drum lines and shark nets, which were introduced in the 1960s. There has not been a shark attack fatality on Gold Coast beaches since.

“My thoughts are always with that sort of thing, you give an inch they will take a mile,” Mr James said.

“So I wouldn’t be surprised if there was a similar push here, but it would never got through.

“In a few years time they will be telling us not to go in the water at all.”

MY ATTITUDE IS THEY (NETS) ARE STAYING, THEY PROTECT PEOPLE. IF YOU GO SOUTH TO NSW PEOPLE GET BITTEN. SO THEY WORK MAYOR TOM TATE

ON September 8, as our city’s Hinterland burned, as residents lost homes, as we lost heritage like Binna Burra Lodge and as brave volunteers and emergency services personnel saved lives and precious wildlife, three arsonists lit two fires in Pimpama bushland.

These fires were quickly extinguished thanks to proactive members of our community and our rural volunteer fire service. The arsonists would be located and charged the next day. The culprits? Three boys aged 11, 10 and nine and two older boys.

On September 10, as the devastation of the fire in our Hinterland became realised, two arsonists lit a fire in suburban Ormeau. This fire again was quickly extinguished thanks to our heroes in the rural fire service and paid firefighters. The arsonists would be located and charged that day. The culprits? Two teenage girls aged 14.

On September 15, the Queensland Police Commissioner announced that arson had not been ruled out as the cause of the major fire in our Hinterland and that an ongoing investigation was “quite complex” but that officers had suspects in their crosshairs.

Travel up the carpark M1 and spend an afternoon asking northern Gold Coast residents if they are surprised by this behaviour, and nine out of 10 northerners would tell you they’re not shocked.

Catch one of our rare bus services in Division 1 (only four bus routes service 30,000-plus northerners) and watch as teen after teen hop on the bus laughing in our bus drivers’ faces as the drivers anticipate payment.

Get off the train at one of our over-capacity train stations at Ormeau or Coomera and watch as Queensland Rail staff are terrorised by teenagers with no regard for others.

Go to a Gold Coast school and spend the day inside a classroom and watch one of our fantastic teachers now play an even bigger role in teaching behaviour to these teens.

The growing epidemic of youth crime on the Gold Coast and across the state stems from a significant lack of respect not in the majority, but in a select few. These young teens have grown up in a very different world and a very different age with social media only inflaming the problem.

We must change our approach on these young teens to stop the epidemic.

We need all levels of government on this. Better laws, better sentencing, tough love courses, parents involved for courses or consequences too. Ultimately, the slap-on-the-wrist approach isn’t working.

To start, these teens found responsible for lighting fires should be taken up to the scorched Hinterland (with their parents) and forced to meet every family who lost their home or business. Bringing the gut-wrenching humanity into the consequences of their idiotic actions might actually breathe a sense of respect back into their life. Might.