North Sydney watercraft owners react to new fees for dinghy, kayak, paddle board storage

A boater backlash is brewing over a council plan to sting owners of dinghies, kayaks and paddle boards with new fees to store their boats in public areas. But not everyone is against the move.

A boater backlash is brewing over a council plan to sting owners of dinghies, kayaks and stand up paddle boards with new fees to leave their boats in public areas.

North Sydney Council has approved a new small watercraft storage fee in a move designed to reign in the rapid rise of vessels being stored and dumped in prime foreshore areas.

The fees will involve owners having to pay $143 for annual permits stickers to leave on their watercraft in public areas.

Dinghies, kayaks and paddle boards without a permit will be impounded by the council after a 28 day notice period in which owners must either remove the watercraft or submit a permit application.

The council said the system – which comes into effect from Friday – is aimed at addressing the impact “small watercraft are having on the environment”.

Dinghy owner Mark van Kerkwyk is not happy with the new fee system. Picture: Sam Ruttyn

“The primary motive for this fee is to manage the ongoing damage and degradation of foreshore reserves which has accelerated due to a doubling of use (of watercraft) in recent Covid-affected years,” the council said.

Waverton resident Mark Van Kerkwyk – who uses a dinghy to access his boats moored in Berrys Bay – believes the cost of the permit fee was “excessive”.

A photo of boats stored in public areas in North Sydney.

Stand up paddle board owners will have to pay for permits.

“I’ve got two boats on mooring and there’s no other way of getting to them other than a dinghy,” he said.

“We already pay enough to Roads and Maritime for the moorings and the council now wants to charge us more than double the cost of a resident parking permit without any facilities to go with it – there’ll be no maintenance, no boat racks, nothing.

“We’re essentially paying a fee for a dinghy to be allowed to be tied to a piece of rope.”

McMahons Point boater Ted Day, who has used a dinghy to access his vessel for 35 years, said many boat owners rely on ready access to dinghies.

“Boat owners need dinghies (to access our boats) and we have a genuine case for storing them by the water,” he said.

“Unfortunately the snobs that have moved into the area in recent years don’t seem to want any fishing or industry in the harbour and think the foreshore areas should be purely for cafes or for somewhere to take their dog for a walk.

“If there are going to be fees, it should be focused on kayaks – they’re the real problem. They’re a big fad and people seem to get them thinking it will be great fun and then give up five minutes later and leave them in the bush or chained up trees.”

A photo of dinghies stored in Waverton.

Loretta Moy, who runs a kayak share club in North Sydney, supported the new fee system, saying it could put an end to watercraft being dumped in public areas.

“There are so many dinghies and kayaks being littered along the foreshore and if you’re using public land I don’t think (a permit fee) is too much to ask,” she said.

“The foreshores are becoming a plastic dump site – It has to be cleaned up because kayaks are being tied up trees and to rocks and it’s spoiling the area for everyone.

“I’d say 70 per cent of (the watercraft) are abandoned or get little use and because they’re cheap to buy and most people in the area live in apartments with nowhere to store them. People probably feel comfortable leaving them in public areas.”

Kayaker Loretta Moy (centre) supported the new fee system.

A council spokeswoman said funds generated by the fees would help pay for the cost of administering the permit system along with upgrading paths, replacing damaged or destroyed trees, and funding low-key storage infrastructure such as tie-up chains.

The council said the number of permits issued for any location would be based on factors including local demand and the ability of a site to sustain small watercraft storage.

New signage will also be installed in key foreshore areas to alert boat owners of the permit policy.

The fee system is targeted at dinghies, kayaks and paddle boards.

“Council has built a number of storage racks and shelters over the years for privately owned small watercraft on public land, and the fees relating to this have been in place for over a decade,” the spokeswoman said.

“Unfortunately, there are some reserves and foreshore areas where we cannot install storage facilities, so we have introduced a permit system to limit the number of watercraft and ensure they are placed safely without impacting the natural environment.”

The move comes after a watercraft study by the council found the dramatic increase in vessel numbers had “ballooned to the point where the public’s ability to access and use beaches was significantly compromised”.