War on wrecks: Queensland targets another 271 ‘unseaworthy’ vessels

However, the war is yet to hit hard, with the Queensland Government saying it was aware of another 271 craft “in an advanced state of decay” on the state’s waterways that may need removal by owners.

The number of boats targeted in the state’s war on wrecks was revealed in the latest Marine Safety Queensland (MSQ) update that announced that as of early December, 65 boats had already been removed from the water by the taskforce.

“That has left waterways such as the Brisbane River, Ross River, the Broadwater and Pumicestone Passage just that little bit cleaner and safer,” MSQ said.

As well as removing unsightly boats from waterways, MSQ said the war on wrecks would protect water users from the “safety and pollution risks posed by vessels left to the elements by their owners”.

“Judging by the response to announcements about the war on wrecks, and by attendance at public consultation meetings held by the Taskforce in Port Douglas, Yeppoon and Gold Coast over the past three months, the Queensland public is also heavily engaged and keen to help,” MSQ said.

It said the government’s email inbox, and the Queensland Transport and Main Roads Dpeartment’s Facebook page had received “a steady flow of intelligence, photos and suggestions” from boat owners and the public keen to dob in a derelict.

“That has been very gratifying and helpful,” MSQ said.

Vessels dobbed in under the scheme could take months to remove as the department attempts to identify craft flagged as unseaworthy and at risk of sinking – meaning they would pose as a navigational risk to passing traffic or even spill fuel and oil – and contact their owners to discuss how the wrecks will be removed from the water.

Under the scheme, the department has to determine if owners are “willing and financially capable of either rectifying the vessel's problems or removing it from the water themselves”.

“Owners have certain rights under the law, as well as responsibilities,” it said. “We must allow appropriate time for the owner to respond and comply with any directions issued by us – and there can be many complexities in doing so – and for certain court processes to take effect, before we can take control and manage the removal of wrecks ourselves.

“When we reach the point at which we feel we can act, tenders must be offered and eventually contractors engaged to physically remove and dispose of the vessels, which of course adds more time to the process.”

That means the time from marking a vessel as derelict to getting it removed from the water would be a matter of months rather than days, MSQ said.

The War on Wrecks Taskforce is preparing a report that it will hand down to the Palaszczuk government in February.