Couta boats in wait for moorings access

KIM WATERS
By Kim Waters
Owners of Queenscliff’s historic couta boats will wait until at least June before they can tie up at 28 new pile moorings, according to a Parks Victoria spokesperson.
The spokesperson said Parks Victoria would seek expressions of interest for the moorings early next month, with the couta boat owners “first priority” for allocation.
The spokesperson declined to comment on likely fees for the moorings, saying the price would depend on installation costs.
Parks Victoria will install the moorings as a cheaper alternative to berths in Queenscliff Harbour, which increased fees after its privatisation and redevelopment under the previous State Government.
Bellarine MP Lisa Neville accused the new State Government of delaying the moorings as it sought “budget cuts”.
Parks Victoria was treating boat owners with “disrespect”, she said.
“These pile moorings must be put in place immediately and a fair allocation system must be outlined so that boat owners, all of whom are local residents, know as soon as possible whether they have a future in the harbour at Queenscliff.”
A five-year price moratorium on harbour berth fees ended in February, with prices increasing as much as 1000 per cent.
Queenscliff Community Association president Joan Kenwood feared the price hike would force the couta boat fleet out after more than a century in the harbour.
“They shouldn’t have had to move, especially because of a price increase,” she said.
“When the plans for the harbour initially came up this was what everyone was worried about and the couta boat owners were promised they would be looked after but instead mooring fees were raised and the owners couldn’t pay them.”
Ms Kenwood said residents and Borough of Queenscliff’s council were still fighting for State Government to hand back to the community a dilapidated wharf area adjacent to the redeveloped section of the harbour.
Queenscliff council voted in February to seek State Government approval for the community to have a “peppercorn” lease on Fisherman’s Wharf.
A Queenscliff council spokesperson said councillors were “continuing to negotiate” a 51-year-lease of the site with Parks Victoria.
“However, there is some room for State Government to renegotiate that with the harbour (operators) and it’s up to them to see what they want to do and then council will respond to that.”