The Department of Transport and Main Roads has removed 37 derelict vessels from Gold Coast waterways in the past year (2021) as part of its War on Wrecks Program.
The Program, run by the Department’s Maritime Safety Queensland Agency, is approaching its 1,000th vessel removed from Queensland’s coastlines.
Minister for Transport and Main Roads, Mark Bailey said War on Wrecks ensured that abandoned vessels did not become a blight on Queensland’s coastlines and waterways.
“On the Gold Coast, a mix of speed boats, yachts, house boats and cabin cruisers between four to 12 metres have been removed and destroyed from locations including Currigee, Labrador, Jacobs Well and Cabbage Tree Point,” Mr Bailey said.
“This year, a further 11 abandoned vessels are set to be removed at multiple Gold Coast locations,” he said.
Chief Executive Officer of the Gold Coast Waterways Authority, Chris Derksema said the Authority was proud to contribute to the Program in collaboration with Maritime Safety Queensland.
“Since September 2018, we have removed a total of 154 abandoned watercraft,” Mr Derksema said.
“We work closely with Maritime Safety Queensland to identify and monitor abandoned vessels, which includes identifying owners and encouraging them to take responsibility in the first instance,” he said.
Mr Derksema said where the owners failed to remove a vessel, the next appropriate measure was to remove and destroy it while seeking cost recovery from the owner.
“Being part of the War on Wrecks Program has given us additional resources to ensure the Gold Coast waterways are sustainably managed,” he said.
“With boat ownership and the number of waterways users on the rise, the Gold Coast Waterways Authority is making sure that, through continuous waterways monitoring and prompt action, the threat of abandoned, derelict vessels can be averted,” Mr Derksema said.
