By LUKE VOOGT
The owner of a ferry dumped on Corio Bay has failed to outline a future for the vessel, prompting Victoria’s channels authority to seek legal advice.
Victorian Regional Channels Authority (VRCA) gave the owner until 16 June to divulge his plans for the ferry but had yet to receive a response.
The authority set the deadline after moving The Queen of Melbourne to Corio Quay in June. The vessel had sat disused at anchor on the bay for nearly a year.
VRCA chief Peter McGovern said the legal advice included how the authority could recover the expenses of the keeping the vessel docked.
“It’s a special area of law called Admiralty Law,” he said.
“Meanwhile, it’s still tied up nice and safe in Corio Quay.”
The VRCA had set up a camera on board to discourage late-night intruders and was conducting routine inspections of the ferry, Mr McGovern said.
The owner could incur costs of several thousand dollars, he said.
In 2014 Farooq Qamar bought The Queen of Melbourne in Norway for $300,000 and brought it to Australia.
A standoff between Mr Qamar and ship captain Stephan Tate left the ferry stranded on Corio Bay in May last year.
