Shute needs more 'hustle and bustle'

The Shute Harbour public boat ramp remains closed amid safety concerns.

SAFETY: Whitsunday Fishing World manager Grant Spees called for patience on the Shute Harbour boat ramp. Picture: Jacob Wilson

SHUTE Harbour has a special place in the heart of Airlie Beach fisherman Brenden Rock.

Prior to Cyclone Debbie's wrath, Mr Rock recalled using the public boat ramp at Shute Harbour at least twice a week to go fishing and take his kids out to the islands.

"That's the main one (I use) because I live out here,” he said.

"Port of Airlie is too far away from the islands if you only have a little tinny and Shute Harbour is really the heart of the islands.

"It's the safest place going into the reef because you have the protection of the islands.”

However, Whitsunday Regional Council has blocked off public access to the boat ramp and Shute Harbour transit facility amid safety concerns.

"(Whitsunday Regional Council) are examining a post-cyclone damage report they received this week from Cardno and will then develop a strategy to determine which areas can re-open in the short-term,” a council spokesperson said.

"Council is making every endeavour to re-open the boat ramp for recreational fishers in the near future, but public safety is the initial priority.”

The South Molle Jetty had been demolished by council just weeks before Cyclone Debbie hit the Whitsunday coast and the Lloyd-Roberts Jetty has also been deemed "unsafe”.

Commercial operators such as Salty Dog Sea Kayaking, Island Transfers and Scamper are still able to operate as per normal from the commercial boat ramp.

But Mick Harvey is another recreational fishing enthusiast affected by the situation.

He said while there were other boat ramps to use across the region, weather conditions often made Shute Harbour the most viable option.

"When it's blowing southerly (winds) I go (the opposite) side, but with northerlies Shute Harbour is the side to go on,” he said.

"(Council) haven't really rushed to get the boat ramp up.”

Few people have felt the impact from the closure more than Whitsunday Fishing World figures Bob and Grant Spees.

Despite this, the avid fishing enthusiasts have called for patience among the local fishing and boating community, noting that all safety concerns needed to be addressed before the facility could be re-opened.

"People are going to scream worse if they go out and hit a mast in the middle of Shute Harbour,” Grant Spees said.

"Council isn't (closing) it because they want to stop people fishing, it's just a case of needing it to be safe for people to return.

"We are losing money because it's closed and there is not much we can do about that.”

Fishing World owner Bob Spees said once things were back to normal, it would be important to stimulate more growth in the area.

"There are still plenty of boat ramps people can use and someone has already hit a wreckage so I don't want to see anyone else doing anything like that,” he said.

"My only hope after that's all finished and they start rebuilding it is that they get something bigger and better, because the fishing pontoon which was there was tiny,” he added.

"It would be a smart move to build something a bit bigger for tourists.”

Reflecting on happier days when ferries and a variety of shops operated from the facility, there is a consensus among many in the community that development is needed to bring the harbour back to glory.

Grant Spees said it was sad to see the "hustle and bustle” lost from when he first moved to the Whitsundays 13 years ago.

"The problem is it's the end of the world here, there is no cafe, no service station, there is nothing left,” Grant said.

"You need to bring people back to Shute Harbour, otherwise it's just going to be a ghost land.

"There is no reason to come out here any more other than to launch a boat or go fishing.”

Shute Harbour resident Marlene Hicks said it was crucial for some form of investment and development in Shute Harbour to proceed.

"I'm hoping the Chinese companies with Daydream and South Molle (CCIG) might eventually buy the harbour and revamp it back to where it was 15 to 20 years ago when there were restaurants and cafes,” Ms Hicks said.

However, Mr Harvey thinks there should be more of an effort to keep the Shute Harbour facility in Australian hands.

"I'm not a person that believes in overseas investors myself, while we can (invest) in another country we would have to go into a partnership with whoever is in that country,” he said.

"There should be less focus on the Chinese market, but more investment from us, we should be working together on these facilities.”

More information is expected to be available by the end of next week regarding time-frames of what will be open at Shute Harbour, according to a Whitsunday Regional Council spokesperson.

Originally published as Shute needs more 'hustle and bustle'