Murray flood clean-up turns to stranded houseboats, but councils won’t help

Houseboats remain stranded by flood waters on the banks of the River Murray and owners now face the expensive task of refloating them.

Houseboats remain stranded by flood waters on the banks of the River Murray and owners face the expensive task of refloating them.

Local councils are coping with significant flood recovery works and will not help around 10 owners who are now stranded.

Renmark Paringa Mayor Peter Hunter said during the flood council had gone to great lengths to support owners who had done the right thing and protected their boats.

“We have a few stranded, and it is not a big problem, but our moorings and the commercial sector are all fine,’’ he said.

“There are a whole lot of people who don’t want to comply with the rules, and don’t want to comply with fees or let the boat drift and now some of those people are asking ‘well why don’t you help’.

“For them to expect us to drop what we are doing with the recovering to help them is a difficult ask.’’

Loxton Waikerie Mayor Trevor Norton said councils and the State Government had gone out of their way to provide safe moorings as flood waters rose and refloating the homes was now the responsibility of owners.

Houseboats stranded near Cadell Picture: Paul Ashenden

“We provided a lot of help before and during the flood to stop this happening,’’ he said.

“Some boats just don’t get the attention they need as the waters go down, but it is now up to the owners.’’

Boating Industry Association spokesman George Bolton said the commercial sector and marina vessels were all kept safe but illegal and “feral” moorings were a problem close to the state border.

“There is a problem upstream with illegal and uninsured vessels, often which have come over from the border and are attached to crown land, council land or private land.

“It is completely up to the owner to make sure these vessels are safe.”

Ray Weedon from Mannum Anchorage Houseboat Sales said a number of the boats had not been prepared for the flood and had naturally drifted outside the main channel of the river.

“A houseboat is a pretty big investment so most people made sure they were looked after.’’ he said.

“Most of the boats people stayed on-board and lived on board adjusting lines as they had to and looking after neighbours who weren’t there.

“The ones that are stranded need to be lifted with very big jacks and have rollers put under them.

“As a boat broker we are getting a lot inquiries from sellers and buyers, sellers because they experienced the flood and buyers who want to switch from shacks to houseboats.”

State recovery co-ordinator, former police chief inspector, Alex Zimmermann, said the SES and Marine Safety SA had advised him there were no river hazards from houseboats.

He said it was an owner’s responsibility to move houseboats back to water.

“It’s a fairly intensive and expensive logistical exercise,” he said.