The LNP this week committed to delivering a Sunshine Coast Waterways Authority, if elected.
Deputy LNP Leader Jarrod Bleijie said the commitment will deliver an authority to stop the buck-passing between multiple layers of bureaucracy and give certainty to locals, councils and business.
“We will provide holistic waterway management for marine industries, commercial and recreational fisheries and enable world-class tourism to grow on the Sunshine Coast,” Mr Bleijie said.
“The LNP will improve and promote the sustainable use of the region’s iconic waterways and the enjoyment of Queensland families with a dedicated Sunshine Coast Waterway Authority.
“Labor has short-changed the Sunshine Coast by refusing to establish this crucial body, despite the Gold Coast having an almost identical authority for over a decade.”
LNP Candidate for Noosa Clare Stewart said better management of the Sunshine Coast’s waterways was urgently needed.
“The lives of Noosa families, business owners and tourists are inextricably linked to our beautiful waterways, yet over the years we have seen piecemeal approach to their management, it’s high time we had a proper mechanism in place to manage their use as a whole,” Ms Stewart said.
LNP Member for Maroochydore Fiona Simpson said the LNP’s $35.6 million commitment would act as a one-stop-shop to ensure local knowledge was better incorporated into waterway management while providing ongoing certainty for commercial tourism and fishing operators into the future.
“This waterway will ensure our local industries can continue to thrive and invest with confidence into the future while protecting all the things Sunshine Coast locals love about our waterways.”
