With still a week to go to have your say on Maritime Safety Queensland’s river management plans, we thought it would be timely to reveal some of the detail of Noosa Integrated Catchment Association’s 2022 vessel management survey, recently published on social media, which revealed the extent of boat dumping on the river.
The NICA survey, conducted on the lower river over 25-26 July last year, outside of any events or school holidays, was designed to provide a baseline for ongoing monitoring, enhancing similar surveys conducted in 2018 and 2021. While the gross number of vessels on the river at the quietest time of the year may seem insignificant compared to now in peak holiday time, what is significant is the number of vessels that really shouldn’t be on the water.
As reported in Noosa Today last month, the 2022 survey found 186 vessels moored or anchored downstream of the North Shore ferry, excluding tenders and vessels at marinas or in Noosa Waters. Almost half of these (90) were considered to be incapable of exiting the waterway via the Noosa Bar.
Vessels by type were 71 yachts, 51 motorboats, 61 houseboats and three other. The survey team also noted 127 vessels anchored from a total of 281 anchor points, and 36 moored with 29 vacant moorings. Intertidal, or vessels sitting on the seabed or foreshore, numbered 23. From the total number of vessels logged, 78 were found to be in good condition, 64 in fair condition, with 38 poor and six derelict and a risk to navigation, which means that more than two-thirds of the vessels considered to be in fair condition were still incapable of crossing the bar.
Assessing the liveaboard situation, the survey team found that 13 vessels probably had people living aboard, while a further 17 possibly did. An additional evening survey conducted on 27 July found that 92 vessels had anchor lights displayed, 94 did not. And finally the survey found that 14 vessels were causing disturbance to vegetation or were a foreshore hazard.
The community consultation closes on 13 January. To learn more about Maritime Safety Queensland’s river management plans and express your view, visit www.getinvolved.qld.gov.au/gi/consultation/view
