Brisbane marina gets eviction reprieve, future still uncertain

Several hundred workers facing job losses after the Government issued an eviction notice for a inner-city marina have been thrown a lifeline.

Several hundred workers facing job losses after the State Government issued an eviction notice to commercial operators at a Kangaroo Point marina have been thrown a lifeline.

A dozen boat charter, floating restaurant, boat hire and jetski businesses using Dockside marina were told to leave by March 4 after breaching conditions of a Department of Resources seabed lease.

But the Department is now conducting an internal review of the eviction order after an application by marina owner Ken Allsop.

It comes as Mr Allsop’s Drift restaurant at Milton, which has been derelict since the 2011 floods, is now faced with being completely written off.

Drift restaurant is now high and dry on the Bicentennial Bikeway at Milton.

The restaurant, built over the river on steel pylons, is now lying across the Bicentennial Bikeway, totally blocking it.

Mr Allsop said he had made contact with a marine salvage company and should soon know if it could be saved.

He said Dockside was lucky to have sustained much less damage.

F finger, the outermost of the five fingers, was badly damaged when an ocean racing yacht sank and is placing enormous pressure on it.

About 10 boats using it had to be moved.

“It will need to be totally re-built. I had to get the power cut off to keep everyone safe, but hopefully we can get it back on in a few days,’’ he said.

“Two (private) boats turned up this week asking to berth here because their jetties floated down the river.

“So many pontoons and jetties have gone there are now even less places than ever for our commercial operators to go (if they are evicted).’’

Drift restaurant is now high and dry on the Bicentennial Bikeway at Milton.

Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner, who recently called the eviction decision “bureaucracy gone bonkers’’, met Resources Minister Stewart Scott this week to discuss help for the Dockside commercial operators.

“I’ve had a constructive meeting with Minister Stewart about this matter and I’m pleased things appear to be advancing,’’ he said.

“I look forward to the parties developing a long-term solution.’’

A spokeswoman for the Department said the Government “recognises the value of the tourism operators on the Brisbane River’’.

“However, the department has been pursuing the issue of commercial activity in breach of his Dockside marina lease with Mr Allsopp for some time.

“And there have been numerous complaints from nearby residents as well as other marina tenants.

Jetski Brisbane.

“As part of the appeal process available to lessees under the relevant legislation, Mr Allsopp is seeking an internal review of the Department’s decision to issue him with the notice requiring him to stop commercial operations at the marina.

“The Department will not take any further action until it has reviewed its decision.

“There is no set time frame for the internal review.

“In the meantime, work continues across government to find alternative river moorings for commercial operators.’’

Prawnster staff Sam Brennan (left) and Chris Dougherty.

Brisvegas owner Barrie Coonan, who owns charter boats Lady In Red and Lady Cavill, said all the commercial operators were praying for a compromise which would at least allow some of them to stay.

He said complaints about noise, rubbish smells and dangerous use of mobility scooters to move bins and resupply boats, were driven by a small number of Dockside apartment owners.

But longtime Dockside riverfront villa resident Greg Wilson said the seabed lease clearly spelled out that commercial use was not allowed.

He said residents had had no problem with the charter boats, which had been using the marina for more than a decade, but since Mr Allsop bought the marina there had been a marked increase in commercialisation.