A resident who has endured hours of generator noise blaring across the water and loose vessels striking his jetty has demanded a clean-up of live-aboard and “zombie” vessels in a popular river.
Mark Halford, of Mooloolaba, said he and other residents had been trying for years to get something done about people flouting live-aboard rules in the Mooloolah River, and other boats left there indefinitely.
Mr Halford was speaking after the Australian Maritime Safety Authority, in conjunction with Maritime Safety Queensland, took action on four houseboats in the Noosa River, where anchoring restrictions are being implemented in stages.
Since then, Sunshine Coast News has been contacted by people concerned about live-aboard and other vessels at Golden Beach-Bells Creek, the Great Sandy Strait and Coochiemudlo Island in Moreton Bay.
The main areas of concern have been the length of time vessels have been anchored, whether they have toilet facilties on board and where and how they dispose of their effluent.
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“This isn’t just a local issue, it goes much deeper,” Mr Halford said.
He said one man had been living aboard a boat in the Mooloolah River for years.
“He’s there five or six nights at a time and then he disappears. I don’t know where he goes for the other one or two,” he said.
He said another person living aboard their boat moved it a short distance in the river every several days so they could not be accused of anchoring for too long.
Mr Halford said effluent disposal was a major issue and his neighbour, Peter “Robbo” Robinson, said he caught the strong smell of sewage early one afternoon recently.
Mr Robinson said it was not unusual to see and smell trails of effluent behind boats on the river on the outgoing tide.
“The wake looks different,” he said.
Mr Robinson said nobody seemed to have both the authority and the capability to act on excessive noise from generators running on live-aboard boats for hours at a time.
Mr Halford said there were also a number of unattended “zombie” vessels that did not have lights at night and sometimes drifted free.
He said two unmanned vessels had struck his jetty and Mr Robinson said he was looking at thousands of dollars worth of repairs after an unmanned boat broke its tether and hit his jetty.
A Maritime Safety Queensland spokesperson confirmed anyone living on a boat for more than 10 days in the Mooloolah River required a permit.
“This rule is for boat owners who are on a real trip and need to stay because of bad weather or to make urgent repairs,” the spokesperson said.
The spokesperson said there were no current live-aboard permits but “we are aware there are some people who are using vessels on the river for periods of time for short-term accommodation”.
“MSQ is in communication with these people to assist them in securing more appropriate means of accommodation, and we are ensuring that, in the meantime, the vessels they are using are seaworthy and complying with marine rules and regulations (including pollution requirements),” they said.
“This is a growing challenge and one that MSQ is working hard to manage and resolve.”
The spokesperson acknowledged that vessels that did not move raised concerns, including about the disposal of black water.
“However, there are alternative ways that people manage waste, including pump-out facilities, pump-out trucks or the use of portable camping toilets. Under the legislation, all vessels are required to manage waste effectively and MSQ will investigate if non-compliance is reported or suspected. Significant fines apply.”
The spokesperson said MSQ took all complaints seriously but complex issues could take time to resolve and people were encouraged to follow up with MSQ if they felt their complaints had not been adequately dealt with, although not all desired outcomes were appropriate or within the bounds of relevant legislation.
Mr Robinson said the harbour master no longer took his calls.
He said a concerted effort by MSQ to patrol and inspect boats would do wonders for the river.
“They’ve only got to show themselves for two or three weeks and the problems are solved for six or eight years,” he said.
