Cronulla Fisheries Centre to close

The Cronulla Fisheries Research Centre is set to close for good. In a press release circulated last Friday (December 14) Deputy Premier Andrew Stoner said that the decentralisation of the Centre would continue.

The release read in part: "The NSW Government will support or partially support ten of the 13 recommendations in the Select Committee’s report into the closure of the Cronulla Fisheries Research Centre, but will continue with the decentralisation of the Centre."

"As part of our policy for a Decade of Decentralisation, the NSW Government is committed to boosting employment, economic and social benefits to regional and rural NSW," Mr Stoner said.

Lobbyist for the retention of the Centre Mr John Burgess said it was a sad day for everyone: "While there is an assurance of sorts that the Cronulla Fisheries site will remain in public ownership the sad reality is that all fishing related activities curently undertaken out of Cronulla will now cease. Just how many staff currently working at Cronulla will be affected by this closure decision remains to be known.

"While the media release states that 10 of the 13 recommendations listed in the Inquiry report will be supported or partially supported by the government the overiding recommendations that the Cronulla Fisheries closure be reversed  have obviously been ignored.

"This is a disappointing outcome for everyone but at least we gave it our best shot to achieve a sensible outcome for Cronulla Fisheries and the staff located there. Thank you to all who have given their support in the campaign to save Cronulla Fisheries," said Mr Burgess.